Project Motherhood: Kyoko Kirigiri
by Gamer95
Summary: Remake of an older fic. On a school trip to Japan, Kyoko gets involved in a case regarding a heavily abused child. While working on the case, she finds herself growing attached. Co-Writer: SkorchNTorch
1. Chapter 1

The 78th class of Hope's Peak Academy had been spending a fair portion of the year learning English. Some, such as Mondo Oowada and Yasuriho Hagakure, struggled with the language, while others, such as Byakuya Togami, Sayaka Maizono and Chihiro Fujisaki, excelled at the classes, even managing to expertly hide their accents.

And Kyoko Kirigiri was fortunate enough to fall into the latter category.

As the final step in their lessons, the class was put on a class trip to London, to interact with people who were born with the language.

The class was in high spirits, most of the students had spent their whole lives in Japan, so traveling to somewhere else was exciting, and traveling to London really excited some of them. They had heard about the food and sights, and how London was very much a thriving country, but also was quaint and quiet at times, which would make for a nice change.

As soon as they had arrived in the foreign country, the class quickly split up to do their own thing. Sayaka found herself meeting some English speaking fans and chatting it up with them. Mondo, Taka and Leon decided to hit a restaurant. Celestia and Hifumi went to look at a tea shop. Sakura and Hina had gone for a jog.

As for Kyoko? She had opted for just exploring the town. She didn't find much that truly caught her interest, however. At least until she stumbled upon a newspaper..

Raising a brow, she picked it up and skimmed over it. What was written was... disturbing, to say the least.

"Young boy in coma. Cause unknown." She muttered, reading the headline. She felt a mix of shock and disgust swell up deep down, but she quickly suppressed it. Reading the rest of the article, she frowned at how... downright incompetent the officers seemed to be.

From what she was reading, it seemed quite clear that the officers were either idiots or paid off to keep silent. The girl's lavender eyes narrowed. Without missing a beat, she turned to make her way back to the hotel. She needed to talk with her father...

"So...you want me to get you on board this investigation?" Jin Kirigiri asked with a raised brow. "Are you...certain that's how you want to spend your trip?"

"Father, I won't sit by idly and let whoever hurt this boy get off without so much as a slap on the wrist. I mean, just read what kinds of injuries he had! Broken limbs, burns, cuts, infected wounds, and that's not even the worst of it! Justice is my job, and I will make sure that justice is served. But I can't do that without your help."

Jin went quiet thinking it over. He knew what his daughter had said was true, but more importantly, he knew there was no way he was going to talk his daughter out of doing this. He loved her more than anything, but she could be very strong headed sometimes... He guessed he got that from him if he was honest.

"Alright." He nodded. "I'll ask around and see what I can find. What are you going to do?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm...going to try and get myself a permit... I hate to say it, but I can't do anything at all if I don't have legal permission." Jin looked thoughtful. He felt confident he could convince the English police department to help his daughter out... He was very persuasive.

"Now you just leave that to your old man." He said, messing up his daughter's hair.

"Daaaad!" Kyoko protested, shielding her hair with her hands.

"What?" He asked with a smirk. "I'm just offering to help."

Kyoko huffed, annoyed, and left, deciding she needed to do two things, she needed to meet this Harry... Potter, and she needed to find any and all information she could about him and where he had been living. It should have been obvious that this wasn't an accident, but she needed proof.

She looked at the newspaper again to find what hospital the boy was staying at, then left the building and made her way over...

Kyoko entered the large building with a purpose and approached the front desk, where the worker waited patiently for someone to aid. "Excuse me." Kyoko greeted. "I'm here to see a Harry Potter." The worker looked surprised at those words. Kyoko tilted her head with a small frown.

"You're the first one to visit that boy... His own family hasn't even come to see him..."

THAT was a red flag if she'd ever seen one.

"Hm." She said, keeping her calm composure and lack of emotion. "Well, I guess I'll be the first then."

"Er. Right..." the worker muttered.

Shaking her head slightly, Kyoto made her way to the room where the tiniest boy she had ever seen was currently hooked up to several machines.

She found it difficult to maintain her composure... It was one thing to hear about it, but to see it with her own eyes...

His tiny frame, the many bruises and cuts, the odd angle his tiny arm was bent at...It was heartwrenching.

The detective stepped up to the boy, a rare expression of sadness on her features, and studied him carefully. He was clearly not well fed...One could count his ribs he was so malnourished. And it was plain to see that his injuries were caused by human hands...

She exhaled angrily through her nostrils, how could ANYONE do such a thing? Let alone allow someone to knowingly do this? She felt her fists trembling and she had to calm herself, this was not the time or place to lose her cool. She needed to remain calm. She slowly approached the bed and looked at the small boy. His shaggy black hair was covering his face partially.

Reaching over with her gloved hand, she carefully moved the hair out of the boy's eyes to get a better look at him. Even she had to admit that this boy was completely and utterly adorable... and that fact just made the entire situation even more infuriating. Gently, she reached over and grabbed one of his tiny hands, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Don't fret little one, I'll make sure whoever did this to you faces justice..." She whispered. Harry didn't respond, not that she expected him to.

Examining the little boy now, she saw OBVIOUS signs of physical abuse, marks where he had clearly been hit and burned. She quietly took a few pictures to use as evidence. She felt like that alone could be enough, but to her, it wasn't. She wanted to make sure whoever did this didn't just go down, but that they never got back up.

Giving the boy one last glance, she turned and left the room. What she didn't notice, however, was the slight twitching of the boy's hand, or the way his arm seemed to put itself back into place...

Kyoko entered the hotel to see her classmates having a lively chat with one another. Ordinarily, she would have joined them. However, at the moment, she was a woman on a mission... And that mission was the complete and utter destruction of the one who had hurt little Harry Potter. So focused was she, that she didn't even notice her approaching friend.

"Hey Kirigiri!" Makoto called. "How was your walk?"

When he received no response, the luckster frowned, but also understood that the detective could be quiet and antisocial sometimes, and chalked this up to just that. But he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that more was going on.

Kyoko made her way to the room she shared with Celeste to plan out her next move. The ultimate gambler happened to already be there, sipping a cup of tea. Noticing her classmates' demeanour, Celeste smiled wryly.

"Oh? It seems you've stumbled upon something interesting. Might I be so bold as to assume you've stumbled upon a case?" The goth asked with vague interest.

"Yes." The detective answered simply, not saying anything else.

"Might I ask what the case is about?"

"Do you want to know? Or are you just trying to be friendly?"

"I assume you already know the answer."

Kyoko rolled her eyes in exasperation. Honestly, Celestia was downright impossible to deal with sometimes. "You're sure you want to know? It's a pretty graphic case."

"Oh, Kyoko, you know my profession very well. Gambling can be far more graphic than you realize. I've even managed to successfully win Russian Roulette." Kyoko looked at her classmate.

"That concerns me greatly. But if you really must know, someone beat a littke boy into a coma, and I want him brought to justice.

Celestia fell silent, her smile fading away into an unreadable expression. "...I see. Well then... Is there anything I can do to help?"

Kyoko was a bit taken aback by the question, but finally answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to help in any way I can."

"Sure." Kyoko replied flatly. She had made a habit of not believing much of that the gambler said, especially in a case like this. "And why would you want to help?"

Celestia frowned at the detective. "Kyoko, do you believe me to be completely heartless? A child is in a coma. It's only natural I would want to do something to assist."

Kyoko looked at the gambler. Thr fact that she had briefly slipped out of her persona seemed to be a clear sign that she was genuinely concerned for the boy...

"There's not much we can do at this time. My father is trying to get me a search permit so that I can get to the investigation."

"Ah yes, I see. Well, your father will no doubt come through for you." She said this with a nod of her head and a smile.

"I agree...I just hope it happens quickly..."

"So do I Kyoko... for that little boy's sake..." She sighed. "Speaking of him, did you see him?"

"Yes." The detective nodded. "While he was still in a coma, I did see him. It's obvious what's happened, and it's sickening knowing no one has done anything about it."

"Hmm, you seem rather attached to him." Celestia smirked, making Kyoko's eyes widen in slight shock and embarrassment.

"How can I be attached to a boy I only met once?" She asked. "An encounter he wasn't even awake for?"

Celeste smirked with a raised brow. "That, my dear Kirigiri, is called maternal instincts. All women have them, whether they realize it or not."

Kyoko frowned at the goth's words. "Maternal instincts? Are you implying..."

"I imagine you would make a fine mother, don't you?" Celeste took a sip of her tea.

Kyoko didn't say anything, but felt her face turning red as Celeste smirked at that.

"Well?" The gambler asked.

Kyoko stormed off, trying to hide her embaressemt. She could hear Celeste laughing as she left, how she hated her somedays...

But was she right? Was she getting attached-

No. She was helping an abused boy. That was all. Wasn't it?

She was deep in thought when she bumped into someone. "S-Sorry..." She mumbled.

"Oh, hi, Kirigiri!" Kyoko looked to see Makoto standing before her.

"Naegi. Hello. How was your time in the city?" Kyoko asked, searching for any excuse she could possibly find to get that embarrassing conversation with Celestia out of her head.

"It was pretty interesting, actually. Sayaka and I got to have our first date in public! Can you believe they don't have a problem with idols dating here?! But anyway, how was your day?"

"It was...very eventful. Long story short, I'll very likely be working during our stay."

"Ooh, did someone rob a store and they can't find out who did it?" Naegi asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"No, as much as I wish it was that simple, I'm afraid this is far more... excessive." The detective frowned. "I'm looking into the abuse of a small boy..."

Naegi's face fell when he heard that. "Aw man... That's terrible..." He said. "Don't think you've ever had to cover anything that intense before..."

Kyoko nodded her head. "It's my first really major case... Luckily it's an easy one... The transition from robberies to abuse will be much smoother..." Naegi bit his lip at that but nodded regardless.

"Well, I think that If anyone can bring the kid's abusers to justice, it's you." He nodded.

Kyoko allowed a small smile to grace her features. "Thank you." She replied.

Naegi rubbed the back of his head, and Kyoko caught on. "You wanna know how bad it is." Naegi was startled.

"Wha-How-" He froze at the smirk on his friend's face. "Right, right, ultimate detective... Sorry... I wasn't sure how to go about saying it..."

"It's fine, your concern is valid. It's...Well, he's..." She sighed. "He was beaten into a coma..." At that, Naegi's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh God..." He muttered.

"And I have reason to believe that he was hurt by his own family. I also believe that they paid off police to remain silent about it."

"I... Oh God..."

Kyoko nodded her head in response. "I know...I know... It's why I have to step up... If the law here can't do their jobs properly, then I'll do it myself." She all but spat.

"Yeah, no kidding... Man, this is unbelievable..." Kyoko noticed her friend looked about ready to cry.

"It's all right, Naegi..." She said, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm gonna put this case to a close..."

"I...I sure hope so... Do you want me to keep it secret?"

"It doesn't matter. It's no skin off my teeth if the others find out."

"Alright, I'll keep it on the down low for now. But if you need anything, let me know."

"Of course." Kyoko smiled.

"Oh, and if the others find out... I'll try and keep them from 'helping'. Unless you need it."

Kyoko nodded her head in affirmation. "Thank you, Makoto."

And with that, the two ultimates went their separate ways.

Kyoko threw open the door to her room, and froze when she saw it on her bed. A smirk found it's way onto her face.

A search permit.

Time to get to work.

Kyoko wrote down what she knew, noting the obvious abuse the boy had suffered, and noting that she needed to talk with the boy's guardians.

Looking to the newspaper she'd found, she read through it again, hoping to find a passage mentioning the boy's relatives. A Mr. Vernon Dursley... She would need to ask around, ask if anyone in town knew the man...

According to the paper, Harry was found unconscious in a place called Privet Drive. That seemed as good a place as any to begin her investigation.

It took her about twenty minutes of walking, which the detective didn't mind, to get to the small neighbourhood Harry supposedly lived in. She leaned against a telephone pole and scanned the area. It was quite... dull. Sure, it at least looked decent and livable, but it seemed almost gray and dreary.

She looked around, then settled on asking at the first house she saw. As she approached, she saw a cat curiously walking up to her. Smiling slightly, she took a kneeling position before the cat and scratched behind it's ears, her fondness for felines shining through. Then, she knocked on the door, and an old woman opened it up.

"Oh, hello there." The old woman said kindly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Possibly." Kyoko nodded in reply. "I was wondering if you knew anything about the boy who is currently in a coma. A young Harry Potter."

The old woman visibly frowned and seemed saddened when asked the question. Kyoko made a mental note that this woman clearly knew something.

"Yes, I know the poor dear." She said, sadness clear in her voice. "May I ask who you are?"

Kyoko held up her search permit. "My name is Kyoko Kirigiri. Ultimate detective of Hope's Peak Academy. I've taken it upon myself to handle this case, seeing as how the police are doing a...less than stellar job."

"Oh yes, I would say it's quite obvious who's responsible...My name is Arabella Figg. Please come in, I just made a pot of tea." Kyoko graciously accepted the offer and took a seat at the table. She heard the sound of multiple meows and smiled as she looked around at all the cats. From adults to kittens, it was clear this woman loved her kitties very much.

One of the kittens jumped into her lap, and she scratched it's chin gently. It reminded her of her own kitty back in her dorm, watched over by the...eccentric ultimate breeder.

Miss Figg set down some tea and a plate of cookies. "Now...My first question is, do you have any connection with Harry prior to his unfortunate condition?"

"Yes, I used to babysit him. The boy really seemed to love being around the cats." Kyoko smiled at that.

"While you did, was there anything off about him? Any signs that he may not be safe in his current home?"

Miss Figg sighed deeply and nodded.

"Yes, he always seemed to small, he was afraid to take any food I offered him. He never said why, but he seemed to be in a constant state of terror. The only time I ever really saw him happy was when he was playing with the kittens."

Kyoko felt an aggressive knot in her gut upon hearing that.

"Okay, did he say anything about why he was so frightened? Anything that would give you pause?"

"He seemed very set on keeping these issues to himself...Though he did have a tendency to get rather panicked when I told him it was time to go home..."

"I see... And where is his home, may I ask?"

"Right next door. Number Four Privet Drive. ...Oh dear...You don't think..."

"I think I have every reason to think." Kyoko replied. "The evidence is piling up... And I have every intention of bringing who's responsible to justice."

"I never did like those Dursleys, nosey, unplesant lot...And I can certainly see them doing something like this...They never seemed happy around the poor boy, I can't think of why though. He was the kindest, most well-mannered little boy you'd ever meet."

"I don't much care for why they did what they did. But more if they were responsible, then to bring them to justice." Kyoko replied firmly.

"I understand." Miss Figg nodded. "If what you say is true, then I will do anything I can to help the poor dear."

"That's good to know." Kyoko nodded. "apparently not even his relatives came to visit him in the hospital, so if he wakes up, it may be good to have a comforting presence."

Miss Figg nodded her head slowly, quietly thinking to herself about how completely and utterly she'd failed in her mission. Kyoko, on the other hand, was deep in thought about the impending success of her own.

"...It's time I took this investigation to the next level." She rose to her feet. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I think it's time I paid the Dursleys a visit."

"Best of luck, dear. But do be careful. Vernon is a very large man, you know." Kyoko smirked slightly at the woman's words.

"Lucky for me I've trained with the ultimate martial artist, so I've picked up a few things."

Miss Figg seemed a bit confused, but recognized the determination in the woman's voice.

"May she succeed where we have all failed..." She thought. "Damn you Albus..."

Leaving the warm home, Kyoko thought about her plan of attack. One the one hand, she figured she could walk right up and demand answers, but if they had gotten this far without getting caught, they'd be smart enough to hide it (or so she thought). There was that odd feeling again when she thought about what Harry must have gone through at their hands that made her want to smash the door down and drag them to the police station and leave them there, but she knew that wouldn't work.

She decided to take the professional route and knock on the door politely, clenching her fists at her sides as she heard foosteps approaching the door. It threw open to reveal a large walrus of a man.

Junko never believed she could hate anyone as immediately as she hated this man. He looked downright unpleasan, from his grotesque appearance to his constant sneer.

"What do you want?" He demanded, prompting Kyoko to narrow her eyes and show off her permit.

"I want you to stand aside and let me in."

"On who's authority?" He scowled.

"London Police Department. Now I'll ask again, stand aside and let me enter. If you don't comply, you'll be held in contempt of an officer's work."

The door was immediately slammed in her face.

"Well, I think I can retire all worries about intelligence..." She muttered.

She decided to opt for the simple response: pulling out her phone and informing the department that the man was obstructing justice.

Ten minutes later, a squad car pulled up outside the house, and two officers stepped out to assist her. Kyoko had some choice words, but she opted not to antagonize them.

"It's about time someone took this case seriously..." One of the officers muttered.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" She asked, trying to keep a lid on her anger. The officer frowned and shook his head.

"Well, a few of the guys on the force..." he began, but trailed off, Kyoko got the message loud and clear.

"Ah, do you know who those are?" She asked, her eye twitching slightly.

"Yes." The officer nodded. "Believe me, I'm more than willing to give you some 'helpful information' if you know what I mean."

"Thank you." Kyoko sighed.

"Would have done something myself, but the higher ups decided 'case closed'. Seriously, we're glad you stepped in. You Hope's Peak kids have a lot of influence all over."

Kyoko allowed a small smirk to cross her face. "I'm very pleased to hear that." One of the officers put a hand on her shoulder.

"Seriously, you're gonna be a great assett to the force back in Japan."

Kyoko blushed ever so slightly as she and the officers approached the door. The office banged on the door, waiting for it to be opened.

"WE ALREADY PAID YOU!" The man's voice yelled from inside. Kyoko and the Officer stared dumbfounded at one another.

"Please tell me you were recording." Was all Kyoko could think to say.

"Of course I was." The officer replied, amazed. "How dumb is this man?"

Kyoko rolled her eyes in response. "Dumb enough to slam the door in the face of the detective that came to investigate..."

"Right, dumb question... Sir, this is your one and only warning. Open up or we will be forced to use force."

"You have no right-"

"You're gonna say the police have no right to try to uphold the law?"

Silence...then the door opened grudgingly.

"Yes?" The man asked begrudgingly.

"Kyoko Kirigiri, Detective from Hope's Peak Academy." Kyoko introduced herself. "I'm here concerning a Harry Potter."

"Who?" The man asked, feigning knowledge.

"The child who lived here who is now in a coma." She replied flatly.

Vernon's face turned purple. "That was not my fault! You have no proof! None! What happened to the freak was all on him, and that is final!"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmm. I think you're protesting a bit too much, Mr. Dursley. Quite suspicious if you ask me."

"Shut up, girl! I had nothing to do with what happened to the brat! All he ever did was put us through hell and back with his constant mischief and shenanigans!"

"Is that a fact?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "Because your next door neighbour told a very different story about Harry. She said he was a shy, quiet boy."

Vernon stumbled over his words and scolded again.

"That old hag is senile! She doesn't know a thing!"

"What kind of monster was Harry living with?" Kyoko mentally frowned.

"Well, regardless, we're coming in." The officer said matter-of-facty. Pushing past the large man aside and entering the home. Kyoko smirked as she entered, seeing the angered look on the man's face.

Kyoko decided to start the investigation in the most obvious place: His bedroom. She turned to look at Vernon. "Tell us where to find Harry's room."

Vernon scowled. "He didn't have one. Not enough space." He said gruffly. One look around the house was enough to tell Kyoko that that was a flat-out lie.

Sighing and rubbing her temples, the young female detectivd gave Vernon a pointed glare. "Fine then. Where did he sleep? And don't you dare try to lie to me."

Vernon didn't want to reply, but when he saw the look the officer was giving him, he addressed him.

"Listen, can I talk with your commander? I'm sure this is just a misun-"

"Don't give me that crap." The officer cut him off, his eyes narrowing. "Everything you've done, it ends. Now."

"But I've done nothing!" Vernon protested. "I'm innocent, I tell you! Haven't done one single thing wrong, there's no reason for you to be here!"

Kyoko glared at the man. "If you're finished with your suspicious protests, then tell us where he slept. And trust me, I know very well when you're lying."

Vernon still didn't seem to want to talk, so Kyoko sighed annoyed, and set to looking for herself.

There were pictures on the wall of a family, but Harry wasn't in any of them. Kyoko's scowl seeping by the second, it was becoming abundantly clear what had happened. Finally, she smelled something... disgusting from under the stairs and approached the small door.

Kyoko was desensitized to violent crime scenes. She had no choice but to be. It came with the line of work. She'd seen corpses, assault victims and kidnappings, all without losing an ounce of composure.

But this cupboard... Oh, this cupboard... Perhaps it was the knowledge that this was where a child was kept, perhaps it was the sheer brutality of the sight, but even Kyoko Kirigiri could not maintain her composure.

"How could you..." She trembled, her voice rising. "HOW COULD YOU!?"

Whiting around with fury in her eyes the officer with her looked at Kyoko then to Vernon, then back to the detective.

"Well, you're screwed." He remarked, before suddenly handcuffing the large man. "C'mon, you're under arrest, you have the right to remain silent-"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" The man roared, shoving the officer to the ground before trying to make a run for it. However, Kyoko proved to be faster, and before he had the chance to get anywhere, she caught up and delivered a kick to his ribs that knocked him into a wall.

Breathing heavily to regain her composure, Kyoko scowled hatefully at the obese man. No...Man was not the right word. She was face to face with a complete monster!

Clenching her fists, the detective took one final deep breath, then searched for more information. She noticed something on each wall of the house... Security cameras.

Finding a laptop, she didn't hesitate inyanking it out and stuffing it into her bag, leaving the room behind her, still fuming.

"Harry... I'll make these monsters pay..." she mentally promised.

Storming to the police officers, she presented them with the laptop and the cameras. "This should be more than enough to find out what IT did to Harry."

"Whoa, she's furious." One of the officers whispered to her partner out of the corner of his mouth. Kyoko heard him and huffed in response. Who WOULDN'T be?!

"Fair." The officer coughed. As if by a Godsend, her father entered, seeming equal parts angered and disgusted.

"Kyoko, I-" He began but stopped when he saw Vernon in cuffs. "Never mind then."

"What did you find dad?" Kyoko sighed, trying to regain her composure.

"Well, a few of them men have... opened up, so to say, about several illegitimate choices made recently. It's all been sent to the higher ups, and I'll say this. They're gonna need to hire a few new people."

Kyoko nodded her head curtly and sighed softly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Good...I'm glad that everyone is getting what they deserve..."

Jin approached his daughter and pulled her into a hug. "I'm very proud of you, Kyoko... You've successfully stopped these criminals from getting away with their crimes."

Kyoko hugged back, smiling softly. "I'm glad to help... Just doing my job..." She said softly.

"Now listen, I think I can handle everything down here, maybe you should either get back to your 'squadmates' as you kids are calling one another-"

"Dad!" Kyoko exclaimed suddenly. "No one calls each other that!"

"But in all seriousness, you may want to go back to the hospital, or wherever everyone else is."

Kyoko thought it over. She could go see Harry again then again, he was still in a coma. Or she could call it quits for the night and return to the hotel where everyone was. The choice was harder than she expected, she was still trying to figure out why she felt such a pull towards Harry. Sure, he had been abused horrifically, but... there was something besides her drive for justice, Kyoko shook her head to clear it.

"I guess I'll go and see him." Kyoko finally decided. Nodding to her father and the officers, she set foot out the door, her destination being the hospital.

As she made her way to the hospital, she felt herself thinking about what she had seen in that house, and she began thinking of all the pain, fear and sadness that boy had felt...

It hurt. There was no way to get around it. She felt genuine sadness and pain for the small boy. Sure maybe he was an obnoxious kid, maybe he was a troublemaker, but nothing he could do short of attempted criminal activity could-

"What are you thinking?!" Kyoko scolded herself. "NOTHING could justify what they did."

She sighed heavily, stopping by a vending machine and getting a drink. She usually didn't drink pop, but tonight wasn't a usual night. When she finally arrived at the hospital she looked around for a doctor or a nurse, finally walking up to the receptionists' desk.

She rested her hand on the desk to get the receptionist's attention. "Hello... I'm here to visit Harry Potter?" The receptionist nodded her head.

"Do you remember the room number?" Kyoko nodded her head and thanked the receptionist before making her way to the sleeping boy's room.

There he was...Still not moving, still in his coma, still stitched up and injured, still just a tiny little toothpick... Kyoko clenched her fists and stepped forward to take a seat next to him.

She sighed deeply, before finally taking his tiny hand in hers once again. She wasn't sure why she did it, but it felt nice. Suddenly, she felt Harry's hand move. Giving a surprised gasp, she saw the tiny boy begin to move, clearly in pain and confusion.

"Wh..where am I...?" She heard the tiniest voice she had ever heard squeak. She saw two beautiful emerald eyes flutter partially open, and fear quickly fill them at the unknown surroundings.

Kyoko tightened her hold on the boy's hand to try and comfort him. "It's okay. You're in a hospital." She said as softly as she could. "Your uncle...put you to sleep for a long time. You're here to get better." Harry looked over at her nervously.

"Uncle Vernon...? But...But he's gonna be mad that I'm here... He'll take me home and he'll..." The boy gasped and tried to clap his hands over his mouth, only to cry out in pain as pain shot through his injured arm.

"Hey, hey there." Kyoko said calmly, trying to seem non-threatening. "It's okay, you're going to be okay, just please lie back down and try not to move too much."

Harry let out several pained breaths, but slowly laid back down on the hospital bed. He looked over at the new woman sitting next to him, his eyes conveyed confusion, pain and fear. Kyoko gave a gentle smile to try and defuse any tension in the air.

"Hi, Harry... My name is Kyoko Kirigiri. I'm the detective that brought your uncle to justice." Harry looked confused. "I made sure he got punished for hurting you."

"Buf miss...Um...Miss K...Miss Koko...?" She couldn't help but let a small smile form, she hadn't expected him to pronounce his name properly, but she hadn't expected his attempt to be so cute...

"Yes Harry?" She spoke calmly, trying to remain as non-threatening as possible.

"Wh-Why is Uncle Vernon getting punished...? He...He didn't do anything wrong..." Kyoko stared at him sadly for several moments before sighing softly.

"No, Harry, that's wrong." She explained. "That man has done nothing but wrong. He had no right to hurt you at all, much less the way he did."

"Bu...but..." Harry tried to stammer out. "He had to... he...he...he was doi-" Harry tried to movie, and yelped in pain, Kyoko sighed sadly and helped him lay back down. "He was doing the right thing..."

"Why on earth would you ever say such a thing?" Kyoko asked puzzled. "There's no possible scenario where what he did was the right thing."

"But... I'm a freak." Harry mumbled, looking down the best he could, trying not to move so he wouldn't hurt himself more. "And I needed to..." He trailed off and didn't finish his sentence.

Kyoko's gaze hardened very slightly, to the point where it was difficult to notice. Reaching over, she grabbed Harry's tiny hand once again.

"Listen to me, Harry... I see absolutely nothing wrong with you. When I look at you, all I see is a little boy, who's been hurt for no good reason whatsoever. There's nothing wrong with you. You're perfectly normal."

"But... I do freaky things." Harry protested weakly. "I've made things fly... and I've heard snakes talk to me... and..."

"Shh..." Kyoko said calmly, gently placing a finger to his tiny lips. "Calm down Harry. Please, just take a few breaths."

It took longer than the detective would've liked, but eventually Harry did seem to calm himself, now whimpering slightly as he looked up at the woman he still didn't know too well. Kyoko frowned slightly at his terrified expression and body language, she didn't know what to do...

She began to think about what he'd just told her. Making things fly? Talking to snakes? Surely that was just the imagination of a child...right?

Shaking her head, she squeezed the boy's hand again. "I'm sure it was all just coincidence. Or your uncle orchestrating things so he'd have an excuse to hurt you."

Harry bit his lip. He knew she was wrong, but didn't want to argue. "I...I guess maybe you're right..." He mumbled softly.

"Well your Uncle is going away for a long time, so he'll never hurt you again." Kyoko said reassuringly.

"But... what's gonna happen to me?" Harry asked.

'Good question.' Kyoko thought. What WAS going to happen to him? There was no way in hell he'd go back to his family, not after what they had put him through... Come to think of it, where were his parents? If they were... gone, than maybe Miss Figg could take care of him, or maybe he'd end up in an orphanage.

Finally, Kyoko let out a deep sigh and smiled at him. "For now, you'll stay here at the hospital until they've figured something out for you."

"Oh... I hope they put me somewhere nice..." Harry said softly, prompting Kyoko to pat his head.

"They will. I know they will." She assured him gently, smiling lightly as the boy leaned closer into her touch. It kind of reminded her of a cat. It was actually kind of...cute. After a few minutes, she rose to her feet. "I'm afraid I have to go now, Harry." The boy looked upset.

"Forever?"

"No dear, I need to go for a few hours and meet with some people." She replied, then without even noticing what she was saying, she added: "I can come back later if you'd like."

"Yes please." Harry replied, very timidly. Kyoko was surprised at her offer but now knew she didn't have much choice. Sure, she could be seen as 'cold' by some of the other students, but this wasn't someone her age, this was a little boy. She mentally sighed, knowing it wouldn't hurt too much to visit him again, and she could gather more information when he was feeling better.

"Well, then I'll be back very soon.." She replied with a nod. She saw Harry try and wave one of his bandaged hands and she waved back, finding it adorable. Then left the room.

She took a look back at the room for a moment before shaking her head and walking away. Putting her hands in her skirt pocket, the young woman made her way back to her hotel.

Gratefully, she noticed Makoto had kept his promise to keep Harry's situation under wraps, and it seemed Celestia hadn't felt the need to tell anyone either. Kyoko was able to make it to her room with no hassle. Upon arrival, she wasn't surprised to see Hifumi Yamada serving the gambler her evening tea.

"Ah, Kyoko, welcome back." Celeste greeted with a nod of acknowledgement. "Might I interest you in a cup of tea?" Kyoko shrugged and figured she might as well.

"Sure, I guess."

Sitting down next to the gambler, Kyoko looked at the drink silently until Celeste cleared her throat.

"So... I don't mean to pry, but..."

"You want to know what happened, don't you?" Kyoko said flatly.

"Oh my god yes!" Celeste said in an over exaggerated tone mixed with a groan. "I feel my heart bleed for the poor dear! Is he okay?"

Kyoko nodded her head. "I found all the evidence I need against the creature thaf did it."

Celeste nodded her head and sipped her tea. "Very good. And what of his coma?"

Kyoko smiled slightly in response. "He's awake now..."

"Thank heavens...Poor thing, put into a coma at such a young age..."

"Indeed, and he seems to believe he deserved everything that happened."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kyoko saw Celeste's eye twitch angrily. She saw the girl begin breathing aggressively to try and calm herself.

"I'll be going back to talk to him later."

Suddenly, the gambler's eyes widened and seemed to sparkle with an idea.

"Well then, might I come along?" She asked.

Kyoko quirked a brow at her classmate. "You want to come? Why?"

Celestia smirked wryly and took a sip from her tea. "Because I believe it would be interesting to see this boy with my own eyes." She explained.

"I see. And you have no ulterior motives?" Celeste frowned.

"Honestly, have faith in me, won't you?"

Kyoko smirked. "Kind of difficult after you convinced the entire class to play strip poker."

"And I must say, you have quite the lovely figure." Kyoko blushed and rolled her eyes.

"Regardless, I don't know if it's the best idea for Harry to meet new people right now." The detective reasoned.

"But don't you need to get more information from him?" Celeste asked. "Wouldn't it be easier if he had a few people he felt like he could talk with?"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes in thought. The gambler did have a point...

"...Fine. But don't make me regret it." She said coolly. The gothic gambler gave the detective a smile and sipped her tea once again before setting it down.

"Kirigiri, you have my word."

"Normally, That means something." Kyoko muttered, making Celeste pout.

"Now that's just unfair."

"And?"

The two gave each other flat looks before going back to their tea. It was clear there was a lot on the detective's mind right now.

She was thinking about Harry. Little damaged Harry, alone in the hospital...

Little damaged Harry, thinking no one loved him...

Little damaged Harry, thinking he deserved to be beaten and abused...

Kyoko felt a pain in her chest. She was often called an ice queen...But she had a heart.

This didn't go unnoticed by Celeste, who tilted her head before speaking.

"You really care for the little one, don't you?"

"Well..." Kyoko shook her head almost immediately. "I just feel... hurt. But who wouldn't? Harry's an innocent child, and he was subjected to such abhorrent treatment, all because they didn't like him."

Celeste remained silent, Kyoko noticed that the gambler seemed far more... real, currently. As if she wasn't trying to predict the detectives next move, but just listening, and clearly hurt as well.

"Yes, it's truly vile..." She agreed. "I certainly hope the man gets placed in a cell with a rather large fellow, if you know what I mean."

"I have a vague idea." Kyoko replied, rolling her eyes.

Celeste giggled in response. "Yes, a fitting punishment, is it not? The man who took pleasure in harming someone much smaller and weaker than himself, receiving similar treatment. True poetic justice."

"I guess that's one way to look at it." Kyoko shrugged. "One can only hope." Both girls sipped at their tea and Kyoko sighed softly. "I'm just glad I got it done quickly...

"True." The gambler nodded. "So, what's your plan now?"

"Well, I think I need some time to rest, after everything that's happened, I don't want to burn myself out." Kyoko reasoned.

"That's fair."

"And later... if you really do want to come see Harry, you can accompany me when I go to see him later. The only condition is you can't scare him, you can't ask him about his past, and I swear if you so much as mention Gambling ONCE I will-"

"Temper, temper, Kirigiri.." Celeste frowned. "I understand. He's not even your son and your acting like a mother."

Kyoko simply huffed in response.

The two girls finished their tea, then Kyoko looked at the clock. "Huh...Later than I thought...I think it's time to turn in for the night." She said coolly.

"Indeed, I'm rather worn out myself."

The two girls changed into their nightwear and crawled into their respective beds. Kyoko was tired, yet for whatever reason, she did not fall asleep right away, staring at the ceiling above her.

No, not for whatever reason...She knew the reason... She was thinking of Harry...

She sighed, still trying to figure out why this boy had made such an impact on her. Was it because of his age? Was it because of what he had been through?

"Or is it because he's adorable..." a thought danced in the back of her mind.

She frowned softly. Where in the world had that come from? Then she thought back to her first conversation with Celeste about the whole situation, and remembered the goth's words...

"That, my dear Kirigiri, is what is known as maternal instincts. Every female has them, whether they're aware or not."

"Does that mean... no, no. I'm not his mother." Kyoko shook he head to clear her thoughts. "He's just an abuse victim, who wouldn't feel bad for someone who went through that?"

However, that wasn't a good enough answer for her mind it seemed, as the thoughts didn't go away.

She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to take over. As she succumbed to her exhausted state, she thought of Harry as slumber took over...

She had to protect him...

One way or another, she would.

Waking the next morning, Kyoko yawned as she looked at her case file for Harry. She sighed and blew some hair out from in front of her eyes. She knew today would be a better day, but was also nervous about what she had to do. She needed Harry's story if his Uncle was going to be locked away for a long time, and that meant she'd have to get him to talk about it...

She looked out the window, and sighed softly. Perhaps not today, but someday soon...First, she needed him to trust her...


	2. Chapter 2

Kyoko pulled herself out of bed and changed into a white t-shirt, a black jacket, a black skirt and black boots. She then went to quickly fix her hair, and went down for breakfast. She was always an early riser, much moreso than most of the others. The only other one down there was the ultimate soldier, Mukuro Ikusaba.

"Morning." The Solider said with a slight wave.

"Good morning." The detective nodded in response. "I assume we're the only ones awake?"

"Brilliant work detective." Mukuro replied, giving her eyes a slight roll. "Get up to anything interesting yesterday?"

Kyoko nodded her head. "Yes, but it's confidential at the moment." Mukuro nodded.

"I see. A case then. Good luck." The soldier returned to her meal, not really one to maintain a conversation. Honestly, Mukuro couldn't be more different from her chatterbox of a twin sister. Kyoko picked at her food, her mind still swimming somewhat. She needed a plan, things always went better when she had a plan. She mentally began preparing what questions she was going to ask.

Eventually, she dug into her breakfast, which had gotten cold, much to her disliking, and thought about what she would ask. First, she would ask why he was with the Dursleys.

Then she would question his interests and hobbies.

Finally, she'd see if she could get him to talk about his treatment. She was satisfied with her plan and her mind felt somewhat at ease. She decided to sit out on a balcony and enjoy the sunrise. Sitting in the cool morning air, she watched as the sun gently rose over the city. Breathing in the cool morning air, she couldn't help but smile slightly. When the sun rose completely, the young woman rose to her feet and made her way inside.

Celeste was awake now, currently in the process of getting her hair done. The goth always made a point to look extravagant when she went out.

"Ah, good morning detective." Celeste greeted. "I hope you slept well,"

"It could've been better." Kyoko sighed. "But I think today may be better."

"We can hope." The gambler nodded. "So, are we still going to meet little Harry today?"

Kyoko nodded her head. "Yes. Very soon. Be ready for it, we leave within the hour." Celeste smirked slightly.

"I suppose I'll have to reschedule my morning tea then, won't I?" Kyoko rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"You and your tea..." Celeste shrugged as she poured herself a drink. Kyoko may not have always understood how the gambler thought, but when she needed it, Celeste was a good friend. She just hoped Harry would be fine around her. Then she remembered the other person she had told about the incident... Naegi. Surely Naegi would be happy to know about what happened to the boy recently. She wasn't sure if she wanted to ask him to come meet Harry or not, but at the same time, he was probably a safe bet for both helping Harry come out of his shell and keeping introductions on the down low.

She decided that she would go and tell him. He deserved to know. No doubt the information she had shared with him had haunted him the entire night prior...

She approached the room that was occupied by Naegi and Togami and knocked on it. It swung open to reveal the luckster, still in his pajamas.

"Oh...Morning, Kirigiri..." He yawned. "What's up?"

"Good morning, Naegi. I take it you remember the little boy I told you about, right?" Naegi nodded. "Well, you'll be happy to know he came out of his coma."

"That's great." Naegi smirked. "Glad to hear it. Did you find whoever did that to the kid?"

Kyoko nodded.

"Already dealt with." From the tone of her voice, it was clear she didn't want to talk too much about it, so Naegi nodded and decided to move on.

"Awesome, so now what?" He asked.

Kyoko shrugged. "We need some word from the kid before much else can be done. I'm going to try to talk some information out of him."

"Ah...Gotcha." Naegi nodded. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Hmm...Maybe another time." Kyoko replied. "I may take you to see him. You can be very encouraging."

"Heh, well, if you need me, just call." Naegi replied. "I think you'll do fine though, if he can get past your icy exterior, he'll see you're actually pretty nice."

Kyoko huffed, annoyed at the last remark, and her mood wasn't helped by the look Celeste was giving her.

"Thank you, Naegi." She flatly replied.

Naegi looked nervous. "Oh man, I said the wrong thing, didn't I?! I'm sorry, Kirigiri, I didn't mean to offend you, I just thought-" A pillow hit the back of his head.

"Enough of that racket, Naegi. Can't you see how early it is?" Grumbled Byakuya, prompting Makoto to blush and apologize.

"It's all right, Naegi. I know you meant well." Kyoko said reassuringly.

"Right. Sorry." He apologized again.

Kyoko roiled her eyes and turned to leave. Now she was faced with two choices: go see Harry, or talk with her father. They both probably needed to be done, but she wasn't sure what order. Ultimately, she decided to speak to her father first. She had all day to speak with Harry. He wasn't going anywhere. However, there was no telling when her father would have to go and do some work...

"Celeste, before we leave, I need to meet my father privately. Wait near the doors for me, will you?" Celeste frowned slightly, but nodded to show she understood and went downstairs. Kyoko sighed as she found her father reading some papers at a table in a corner. He noticed her as she approached.

"Morning Kiddo." He nodded. "How you feeling?"

"I've certainly been better..." Kyoko sighed.

"I can believe it." Jin nodded noticing the look on his daughters face. "You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?"

"No. As much as I am tired, I just couldn't fall asleep for a long while." She admitted.

"I see...I take it it has something to do with Harry then?" Kyoko nodded and took a seat opposite her father, resting her hands in her lap.

She needed to talk to someone about these feelings of protectiveness and warmth regarding the boy, and her father seemed like the right person...

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of how to go about asking for his advice... The words just completely escaped her...

Luckily for her, the man caught onto his daughter's distress. "Kyoko, what's bothering you?" Kyoko looked at him in surprise. "Father's intuition. I just know there's something you're not telling me."

Kyoko sighed and looked Jin in the eyes. "It's about Harry...I can't explain it, but...there's this feeling in my chest every time I think about him...Like...I want to protect him, and I don't wanna leave him..."

Jin smirked slightly and gave a light chuckle at what he was hearing.

"Kyoko... you know what 'Maternal Instincts' are, right?" He asked.

"Yes." Kyoko nodded, still frowning somewhat. She knew what they were and why they happened, but that didn't explain why she was feeling them so strongly.

"Well, I think you're growing attached to Harry for one reason or another, and feelings you were previously unaware of are driving you to want to take care of him."

Kyoko clenched her fists and looked down slightly. "But...But what will I do about it?" She asked, confused and somewhat ill at ease. Her father shrugged.

"That's something you'll have to figure out on your own." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And I know you can do it. You'r a Kirigiri. Figuring out difficult mysteries is in your blood."

Kyoko gave her father a nod in response. "Yeah...You're right...Thank you, father..." She said with a small bow, prompting the older Kirigiri to chuckle.

"You don't have to be so formal with me, Kyoko. You're my daughter. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me." Kyoko just smiled lightly.

"Right. Thanks dad." She sighed. Making her way back up, she saw several of the students were up now, all eating breakfast. Naegi and Celestia were talking, and both turned when they saw the detective enter.

"Everything alright?" Celestia asked.

"I believe so." The detective nodded.

Celeste nodded her head. "Very good. Will we be leaving soon then?" She spoke in a hush so as not to draw attention. Kyoko nodded her head in response.

"Celeste is going with you?" Makoto asked with a raised brow, prompting Kyoko to shrug.

"She asked." The student looked at the two, as if he wanted to say something, but eventually shrugged and turned back to his food.

"Have fun, I guess..." He remarked. "Try and help the kid, but remember he's a victim of abuse, don't expect everything at once."

Kyoko nodded her head in response. "Yeah, I know..." She turned to Celeste, who was dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "Done eating?"

"Indeed I am, dear. Shall we make our leave then?" Kyoko nodded and led the way. The pair walked in silence towards the hospital. Kyoko's mind was racing as she went over the questions she had in her mind. She remembered her training, how to seem friendly and non-threatening, she would need every bit of that when she talked with Harry. Hopefully Celestia wouldn't scare him either.

Upon arrival, Kyoko approached the front desk. "Are you here to see Mr. Potter again?" The receptionist asked, to which Kyoko nodded her head in affirmation. "Well, he's awake, but I should warn you. He's rather nervous at the moment. The few times a nurse has tired to talk with him, he's shown clear sings of trauma. Hopefully you can be of assistance." Kyoko frowned but nodded, walking towards the room with Celestia following.

Kyoko approached the door leading to Harry's room before turning to look at Celeste. "I'm gonna go in alone first so he doesn't feel overwhelmed. I'll let you know when you can come in."

"Very good." Celestia replied, nodding her head in affirmation. Kyoko entered the room and stepped in. The sound of her footsteps got Harry's attention.

"H...Hello?" He whimpered.

"Hi there Harry, do you remember me?" Kyoko asked as she entered the room.

"Y..you're real..." Harry whispered, his eyes widening in amazement.

"Yes, I am." Kyoko smiled. The detective took a seat by the boy's bedside and grabbed his hand again, squeezing gently. She felt the boy's own tiny hand squeezing back, which caused a small smile to appear on her face.

"How are you feeling today? Are your injuries feeling any better?" She asked. Harry shook his head from side to side with a frown and pointed to his bad arm.

"It still hurts a lot..." He admitted. "I um...I got some funny little pill thingies that made it go away a little bit, but...the pain's still there..."

"Ah, I see. Painkillers." Kyoko said with a nod. "Well I'm glad to hear that the pain's not as bad...But I do need you to answer a couple questions for me, okay?"

"Um. Okay." Harry nodded, his voice still quivering.

"Well, first of all, how old are you?" Kyoko asked, pulling a chair up and sitting down next to the bed.

"I'm five Miss Koyoko." Harry replied timidly, Kyoko didn't have the heart to correct him on the pronunciation right now.

"Five? Well, you're getting to be a big kid, aren't you?" She replied, writing down his age, and noting how he looked like he was two.

Harry looked visibly pleased to hear her say that, which was a very good sign that she was doing something right. "Okay, Harry...How long have you been with your aunt and uncle?"

Harry looked visibly upset at her words. "Um...Since I was a baby...My mommy and daddy died in a car crash and that's why I was staying with them..."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Harry. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you though. Okay, my next question... Do you have any hobbies or interests?"

Harry perked up slightly with a small smile. "I like to cook! And I also like working in the garden...All the flowers are pretty, even if the weeds hurt my hands..."

"Aww..." Kyoko cooed at the small boy. "I'm sure you'll be a wonderful chef when you get older, but... did anyone watch you when you were cooking?"

"No... I got burned a lot, and I was told my cooking was terrible." Harry mumbled, seceding saddened once again. Kyoko gently took one of his hands in hers and rubbed it.

"Well, I think your food would be delicious. What did you enjoy making?"

"Whatever my aunt or uncle told me to make." Harry replied innocently.

Kyoko frowned at that, but nodded her head. "I see. Well, at the very least you got to make a variety of dishes..." She said, trying to look at it from a positive angle.

"I guess so... But I wish I got to try some of the food I made...They kept saying it was terrible, but I never got to try it myself, so I never knew what to fix..."

Kyoko clenched a fist tightly. Honestly, how could anyone look at this cute little face and willingly beat and torture it? It didn't make sense...

"Well...I'm sure you'll get to try your own cooking someday soon." She assured him. "But...this next question will be difficult... Harry...Can you tell me what exactly they did to you?"

Harry's eyes widened in fear and his heart rate monitor began to beep a bit faster. Kyoko knew in an instant this wasn't going to be easy. She soothingly rubbed his hand with hers to try and calm him.

"Hey, hey, Harry it's okay, they're not going to hurt you ever again." She said in a calm and quiet tone.

"P...please don't send me back with them..." He whimpered, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with me... they hated me... an..and they hit me a lot..."

Kyoko felt her heart shatter upon that. Yes, this wasn't her first abuse case, but to such a tiny boy... God it hurt to see him in this condition.

She took a kneeling position by his bedside and grabbed his shoulders gently in order to calm him down. "Harry...You're never going back to those people. That is a promise."

"I...I'm scared...I don't know what's gonna happen to me..." Harry whimpered out softly. Kyoko pressed her forehead against his gently.

"I can't exactly tell you for sure what will happen either...But whatever it is, I promise you that it will be better." She assured the boy gently. Harry sighed, then began to talk.

"Sometimes they hit me... with a bat. And it really hurt... Sometimes they'd pour really hot water on me, and sometimes it was cold... and then they'd leave me outside when it was cold. things got really dark some nights, and then they yelled at me when I woke up because I hadn't done something right." Kyoko listened to him with a blank expression on her face. When he finished, she had no idea how to respond to the horrors she just heard.

She looked Harry dead in the eyes and struggled to find the proper words to express how she currently felt. Finally, she uttered "I'm sorry..."

"But I'm..." Harry began until Kyoko cut him off.

"Harry, we've been over this." She said kindly but sternly. "You're not a freak, so please, don't say you deserved this."

"I'm confused...What's the right thing to think?" Harry asked, lowering his head.

"You need to try to think positive." Kyoko replied, patting his head.

"Oh. How do I do that?" Harry asked.

"Well, I think you're a polite, well-mannered boy for one." Kyoko began. "Admittedly, your voice is very cute as well.

Harry blushed softly at that and looked down. "My voice...?" He asked shyly, his little voice audibly cracking. Kyoko smiled and nodded her head.

"That's right, Harry... Your voice is very precious." She assured. "And you have a very good heart, that I can tell." To emphasize this point, she gave his chest a light poke. Harry's blush deepened at the remark, Kyoko mentally noted that he probably had never been given any form of praise or reassurance, so this was a good way to try and warm him up to her.

"Um... Miss Keyoko? Why do you know so much about me?" Harry finally asked, tilting his head slightly.

Kyoko reached over and patted his head. "I only know the very basics, little guy, and that's because I was a detective, investigating your coma."

"Detective...? You mean you're one of those people that solves clues and stops bad guys?" Harry asked with a tilted head, to which Kyoko smirked and nodded.

"The exact same." She replied.

"Oh, that's cool. Harry whispered quietly, making Kyoko smile.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're still okay. How badly are you hurting?"

Harry looked down at his arm. "Um... My arm still hurts...and my back too... And um...the doctor person said I had some infections...I don't know what that is, but I think it's that burning feeling..."

Kyoko sighed softly. "Sorry to hear you're still in pain, kid..." She squeezed his hand again. "But hey...That's what hospitals are for. To make you better."

Harry looked up at the ceiling, as if in thought. "I'm kinda used to feeling hurt though... It's gonna feel a bit weird when the owies stop hurting..." Kyoko adopted a blank expression for a few moments. She hated hearing that, knowing that to Harry, pain was considered to be the norm. She couldn't show it though, she didn't want to upset him.

"Well, you're recovering, that's all that matters." Kyoko said matter-of-factly. Harry nodded his head slowly. "Did the doctors tell you how long they thought you'd be in here?" Kyoko asked gently. Harry shook his head.

"All they told me is that I have to stay until my owies don't hurt anymore..." He replied softly. "But it's okay. The hospital is a lot nicer than home was."

"I'm glad to hear that." Kyoko smiled. "Harry, would you like to meet a friend of mine? She's very nice and would like to meet you."

"R...really?" Harry asked, surprised. "She wants to meet... Me?"

Kyoko nodded her head. "Yes, she read the newspaper and found out what happened to you. She feels terrible, and she really wants to know if you're okay."

"But...But why...? I don't understand...Why would she care what happened to me...? She's never met me... It doesn't make a lot of sense..."

"Well, despite what your uncle told you, people do care about you." Kyoko explained. "People can be concerned about your well being without needing a reason."

"Oh. Um, is she nice?" Harry asked, seeming to get the point.

"Very nice." Kyoko confirmed. Okay, that wasn't entirely honest on her part. Celeste had her moments, but generally, she enjoyed stirring up trouble.

"Okay...Um...I can see her then...I won't say no...Um...Bring her in..." Kyoko smiled and patted his head before moving to the doorway and leaning out.

"Come on in now." She said to the gambler. Harry heard heels clicking outside the room, and he held his blankets up to his chin timidly as Celeste walked in.

"Hello young one." Celeste smiled. "My name is Celeste."

""H...hi Mi...miss Celeste..." Harry practically whispered.

While the gambler may have planed on being kind to the injured boy (she wasn't a monster) any traces of acting seemed to disappear when she heard his voice. Her eyes widened and a huge grin appeared on her face.

"Oh aren't you just a little darling?!" She exclaimed. Harry looked down once more, finding his blankets very interesting all of a sudden. This was the second time in less than an hour someone complimented him...

Kyoko smirked at the boy, then turned to Celestia. "He's shy." She said simply, which prompted the gothic gambler to let out a light giggle.

"So I noticed." She stepped up to the boy's bedside and smiled down at him. "I'm very glad to see you've awakened, dear. What happened to you was an atrocity." Harry didn't reply, trying to seem as small as possible. Celeste smiled sadly at the sight. "It's alright dear, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." She said kindly, trying to get Harry to come out from his hiding spot.

Harry forced himself to look up at the other woman and waved shyly. "Hi miss um... Celeste..." He mumbled again, trying to build up the courage to talk. Kyoko moved to the boy's side and took his hand, squeezing in an encouraging manner that caused him to relax very slightly. Miss Kyoko's presence was...soothing to him.

"My, Kyoko failed to mention just how adorable you are." Celeste smiled. She was partially acting, but she also felt her heart melt at his tiny voice and sparkling eyes. Harry said nothing, not even sure what to say. However, the tinge of red in his cheeks was enough for the two girls to confirm that he'd heard them loud and clear. "I'm happy to see you're on your way to being out and about little one." Celeste smiled.

"So am I." Kyoko nodded in agreement.

"Um. Thank you Miss Celeste."

"Such a well-mannered little man." The gambler continued, rubbing Harry's cheek kindly, making Harry blush even more. He was nervous about the new woman's touch, but she wasn't being mean, she was actually very nice. Kyoko smiled at the interaction between the two, Harry was such a sweet boy. He didn't deserve what happened to him.

She watched the two interact for about twenty minutes before a loud noise sounded out through the room. Celeste blinked and cleared her throat. "That is my phone...One moment please..." The gothic gambler pulled out her phone. "Yes? Oh my, is it that time so soon? Well, all right, I'll be there in just a moment." She hung up. "I apologize for leaving on such short notice, but I must leave to collect my erm...winnings."

"Winnings?" Harry asked. "Did you win something?" To this, Celestia smirked and patted his head gently, remembering Kyoko's warning not to bring up gambling.

"Indeed I did, young Harry, and the time has come for me to go and collect it. Do feel better, darling. It was wonderful getting to know you."

Harry looked to Kyoko confused, as if asking for an answer, the detective gave a small sigh and took Harry's hand again.

"You'll understand when you're older dear." She explained.

"Okay." Harry nodded, not one to argue with an adult.

"So, you told me you liked to cook last time we talked, what else do you enjoy?" The detective decided to try and steer the conversation to something more... calming.

"Oh uh... when I got to stay with Miss Figg she had kitties, they were really nice." Harry replied, thinking.

Kyoko perked up slightly, and a small smile formed on her face. "Oh, do you now? I happen to like cats quite a lot myself." She replied.

"Really?" Harry asked eagerly, a bright happy twinkle appearing in his eyes that made him look oh so very precious to the detective seated by his bedside.

"Yes. In fact, I happen to have my own little black cat back home. His name is Dusk." She said fondly as she thought about her pet patiently waiting back in her dorm room.

"Wow... Black kitties are really cool..." Harry said with a wide smile. "They're pretty too... Um...Is Dusk soft?" He asked curiously. Kyoko looked thoughtful.

"His fur isn't exactly soft...But it's still very pleasant to the touch." She explained.

"I wish I could meet him..." Harry said longingly.

"I'm sure you two would get along great." Kyoko said with a faint smile on her face. Suddenly, something went through her mind: what was going to happen to Harry once she left for Japan again? Kyoko felt her spine shiver slightly, however, she didn't show it. It dawned on her, she was going to have to leave Harry here, and she'd never see him again... She donned a thoughtful expression. No way was she letting that happen... She had to find some way to stay in contact with the boy... But how?

She figured she'd figure it out later. For now, she decided to make the most of her time here, and make absolutely certain that everything turned out okay for Harry.

Little did she know, she would not be separated from Harry at all. Not for a long, long time...


	3. Chapter 3

Sadly, Kyoko had to bid Harry farewell for now and return to the hotel. She had agreed to come visit him again tomorrow, and this time, she knew she was going to. Her thoughts were scattered as she walked back to the hotel, and it annoyed her. she preferred everything to be focused, easy to comprehend and make decisions, but ever since she met, Harry, everything seemed to be changing. She sighed softly and entered the hotel, trying not to be seen by the others. She really wasn't feeling up to talking right now... Currently, she just wanted to think about her current situation...

She didn't feel angry or upset, in fact it was quite the opposite. Harry brought out a warm, fuzzy feeling inside her that made her want to smile...

"Hey Kirigiri. you seem... happy." Naegi remarked as Kyoko looked over to where he was sitting. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, things are fine." She nodded. "In fact... I think things are just fine." Naegi blinked, he wasn't used to Kyoko seeming this happy, but he shrugged and decided to let her stay in the moment. It didn't take a detective of her level to see how much of an impact this kid was having on her, and it was definitely for the better. Kyoko turned to look at the luckster. "Naegi... If you don't mind, I have some things I'd like to think about alone." Naegi nodded his head.

"I gotcha, Kirigiri. I was about to go grab some dinner anyway. Hope you work everything out!" Kyoko stared at his retreating back with a small smile.

"So do I, Naegi... So do I..." She said softly before making her way back to her room, where, sure enough, Celestia Ludenberg waited, counting a stack of cash.

"So how's the little dear doing?" The gambler asked, not looking up from her money.

"As fine as you can hope." Kyoko replied, sighing slightly. "I assume you're doing just fine as well?"

"Better than fine." Celeste replied. "I can't believe how dumb some of the players were!"

Kyoko nodded her head as she looked at the pile of money. "Yeah, that is quite the haul you have there... Who did you swindle this time?"

"Oh, it was some large man that very much resembled a walrus. He never stood a chance, really." Celeste replied with a smirk, causing Kyoko to blink.

"Fat walrus man? That description matches Harry's uncle perfectly." The detective said. Celeste looked surprised for a moment before smirking.

"Well, he's in for quite the surprise if he ever sees the light of day after what he did to poor Harry."

"I think his wife may be in for more of a shock than he is." Kyoko replied, thinking back to the file she had read. "And frankly, I'm completely okay with that."

"Yes indeed, but that reminds me, there's something I wanted to ask you about. What do you plan on doing with Harry?" Kyoko paused and looked up at the gambler.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, soon we'll be heading back to Japan, I was curious if you had given any thought to bring Harry along with us."

Kyoko frowned. "Would that really be the best idea? He doesn't speak the language, and it's not like I'm his mom or anything." She replied.

Celeste shrugged. "You very well could be, Kirigiri. You certainly looked the part when we went to visit the dear, and you're certainly smart enough to help him learn the language."

Kyoko blushed lightly and looked down. "Still...To take him away from his home country like that..." She trailed off, not sure what else to say.

"Yes, his home country where he was left to suffer at the hands of his own relatives and no one cared enough to do a thing about it until you showed up." Celeste replied, her tone getting somewhat angered and serious. "Not to mention that he's probably grown quite fond of you, it would probably be quite painful for him to have to say goodbye to you." Kyoko fidgeted in her seat, and Celeste couldn't help but notice she looked rather innocent at that moment. She sighed. "It's your choice, Kirigiri, I won't press it any further. But you really should consider it." The gambler spoke surprisingly gently to the detective. Kyoko looked over to the Gambler, who had gone silent once again. The feeling in her gut returned full force now, she didn't know why, but she couldn't leave Harry here. Not with all he had been through. One way or another, she was going to get him somewhere better before she left.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Kyoko went down for breakfast once again. Surprisingly, she saw Makoto was there alongside Mukuro, the two chatting it up as they ate. Kyoko quietly decided to step up and join them, setting down her own tray and taking a seat next to Makoto.

"Morning Kyoko. You doing okay?" Makoto asked, looking over to the detective, who was a bit surprised at how quickly he addressed her.

"Things are okay." Kyoko nodded, keeping a stoic look on her face. "I'm trying to figure out how to make them better, so we'll see how they go."

"Hey, if you wanna talk about it, just say so."

Mukuro raised a brow as the two talked. "Am I missing something here?" The solider asked.

"It's the case I told you about yesterday." Kyoko explained. She thought a moment before deciding to let the soldier in on it. "It's a child abuse case."

Mukuro's lips formed into a noticeable frown. "I see... Child abuse..." She murmured. She wasn't one to be overtly emotional...but that slight change in expression was all one needed to tell she was displeased.

"It was apparently really bad from what Kirigiri told me." Makoto explained. "Apparently the little guy just got out of a coma." Mukuro just shook her head.

"I assume this is what you've been working on the past few days?"

"Yes." Kyoko nodded. The soldier's face didn't seem to change much as she replied:

"Is he going to be alright?"

"I hope so..." Mukoro stared at her food. Kyoko smiled slightly. Even if she had no idea how to properly show it, the soldier's concern for Harry was very much appreciated. The trio ate in silence for a few moments before Kyoko turned to her friends. "I'm going back to visit him again today. Would you two like to come?"

Makoto smiled brightly. "Sure, I'd be happy to tag along and see the little guy!" He turned to Mukuro. "How about you, Ikusaba? You up for it?" The Solider blinked, a bit surprised by the offer, but eventually nodded.

"Alright." She shrugged. "I'll meet the kid."

"Great!" Makoto grinned. "Alright Kyoko, let us know when we're heading over!"

Kyoko couldn't help but let a faint smile form. Makoto could, in his own words, be 'plain' according to him, but she did appreciate his optimism, hopefully it would make Harry's hospital room a little less awkward today.

Later on in the day, the group of three made their way to the hospital in relative silence. Upon arrival, the receptionist recognized Kyoko and let them in straightaway.

"Okay, I'll go in first to let him know you're coming in." Kyoko said to the other three, who nodded in agreement. The detective entered the room.

Harry smiled slightly and perked up when he saw her enter the room. "Hi, Miss Kokyo." He said softly. Kyoko smirked slightly at the way he pronounced her name.

"Hello, Harry. I'm glad to see you less mummified in bandages."

"Uh-huh, the nurse said I didn't need all of them anymore." Harry tried to explain, still not able to move around too much.

"That's good to hear." Kyoko said, standing next to his bed. "If it's okay, I brought some more friends of mine to meet you."

Harry looked at her with a tilted head. "Really? Is it Miss Celeste again? She was nice... I liked her..." Kyoko smiled and shook her head.

"No, it's two new people you haven't met before... Two of my closest friends, actually. Nothing to be afraid of, they're very nice, I promise." Harry felt somewhat uneasy. New people were intimidating to him... He never knew whether or not they would be mean and hurt him like his uncle... But if miss Kyoko said they were nice, than he could trust them, right? Harry though so, and nodded his okay to the detective, who went to the door and let her friends in.

Makoto's cheerful and upbeat dameanour noticeably shifted to one of pain as he entered, concern clear on his face as he looked at Harry on the bed. Mukuro's eyes shifted from Solider-like focus to pain and anger, her mouth twitched, as if she was holding back a shadowy curse of anger. Makoto was the first to speak. "Hey there, little guy...Man, you really got banged up, didn't you?" He asked, looking at the boy with a sad frown.

"Oh...Um...Y-Yeah...It uh...it happens..." Harry mumbled softly. Makoto and Mukuro both exchanged glances before looking at Kyoko, who sighed.

"Well it never should have." The detective replied as she put a hand on his head, rubbing it gently. Harry smiled and leaned into her touch. "These are Makoto and Mukuro." She continued, looking back to her friends. "And this is Harry."

"Cute name, fits his description." Mukuro remarked, getting down so she was on his level. She gave him a small wave and Harry looked up to Kyoko, as if wordlessly asking for what he should do. Kyoko looked back at him and smiled slightly, giving him a small shrug. Harry looked back at Mukuro for a moment before waving his tiny hand shyly.

"Hi..." He mumbled out softly. Mukuro nodded her head to acknowledge his greeting. Then the two looked at each other for a few moments in a rather awkward silence.

Finally, Makoto decided to step in and break the deafening silence. "So, Harry, how are you holding up? Feel any better?" He asked the boy.

"Uh... kinda." Harry mumbled, still nervous. "My arms hurt a lot... but my head doesn't feel as bad."

"That's good to hear." Makoto smiled. "Has Kyoko been keeping you company?"

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "She's really nice, she's the nicest person I've ever met."

'I hate that I'm the highest standard be has...' Kyoko mentally frowned.

Makoto noticed Kyoko's demeanour and gave her a reassuring smile. "Quit selling yourself so short, Kirigiri! There's nothing wrong with you! You're totally a nice person!"

"Yeah... You helped me... No one else wanted to help me, but...you came and you helped and...that made me happy... Only a really nice person would make me happy like that..."

Kyoko was blushing slightly, hiding her smile behind her hand. "Heheh... Thanks, guys... Hearing that means a lot more than you realize..." Harry seemed to each out with his bandaged arms, Kyoko was a bit surprised but eventually gave in and gave Harry a warm hug. She felt the boy trying his best to hug her back, but also felt him flinch in pain. 'Why is everything he does so adorable?' Kyoko thought. 'Is there some sort of adorable gene he inherited from his parents?' She ran her fingers down his back gently, trying to comfort him through the pain. "How about you just let me do the hugging for now, okay, Harry?" Harry nuzzled closer into her embrace. She felt his little head nodding up and down, which brought a warmth to her. This felt...right. Very right... At that point, she remembered that Mukuro and Makoto were still there. Her face turned slightly red, but she decided to brush it off. It was no big deal, really... However, from Makoto's grin, it was clear to him that this was a big deal. "What?" She asked flatly.

"It's cute." He remarked.

"He's a little kid who's been injured, of course I'd be kind to him." Kyoko rebuffed the comment. "He's also just... really likeable."

Makoto chuckled in response. "Yeah, that much I won't deny," He patted the boy's head a couple times before pulling back. Mukuro tilted her head.

"Hmm...The way you're acting is a lot like how I'd imagine a mother to react, Kyoko." The purplette's face turned red and she turned to look at the soldier.

"Mo...Mother...? A mama...?" Harry squeaked softly, cuddling in closer to the detective as he thought about it. Miss Kyoko as his mama... Now the detective found herself trapped in a very bad place, on the one hand, if she's said she wasn't Harry's mother, he's understand right?

'It would probably drastically hurt him though.' She suddenly thought. But if she said she was, could she take care of a child? Sure, she wanted to get Harry out of here and to a safer place... could that be with her? She looked at Harry and petted his head gently. "Maybe...Maybe someday. We'll see, okay?" She said gently. Harry nodded his tiny head. She didn't want him...He knew she didn't...Who would? He had something wrong with him... Sure she had tried to tell him otherwise, but...no one wanted him... He did his best to hold back his tears, but they kept welling up until he couldn't hold them back. The students present were taken aback when Harry began crying into the sheets, sobs racking his body. Kyoko was the first to react, pulling him back into her arms and hugging him tightly against her chest. "Harry... I'm so sorry, I didn't think..."

"Wh-Why doesn't anyone like me? What did I do wrong?" The boy sobbed out, causing the detective to give him a sad expression...but also one of understanding. This was it. This was all she needed to realize there was no way she could ever leave him behind. Just the sounds of his hurt sobs told her she needed to be a part of his life.

Mukuro jerked her head to the side and Makoto nodded, the two quietly leaving the hospital room to leave the two alone. Kotaro sighed deeply then looked Harry in his emerald eyes. "Harry... would you like to come home with me?" She finally asked.

Harry looked up at her with wide eyes, then wiped some tears away. "R-Really...? I can...?" He whimpered out softly. Kyoko smiled and nodded.

"You can." She assured the boy jn her arms. "If you want to... It may be a little bit difficult... But I promise you that I will find a way to make it work." Harry looked up at Kyoko, his eyes wide and watery. After a few silent moments, he tried his best to hug the detective once again.

"Yes please..." He whimpered. "I...I wanna be near you, even if you're not my mommy, you're still really nice."

Kyoko gave the boy a warm smile and rested her chin on his tiny head, making no move to break the hug they shared. "I'm flattered, Harry... Really..."

The two stayed like that for five minutes, Kyoko kneeling beside Harry's bedside and holding him close, and Harry resting against her, taking in the soothing warmth and lavender scent...

Then the door opened slightly. "Is everything okay now...?" Kyoko turned to smile at Makoto and nodded her head to assure him all was well.

"Good to hear. I uh... I got a message from Celeste, she's wondering what's happening."

Kyoko sighed then smiled. "Well, if she keeps it quiet, you can tell her Harry will be coming home with us." She returned to nuzzling the top of the boy's head. The warm feeling was back, but it felt... good. Now she enjoyed it, she didn't want it to leave.

Harry, for his part, had never felt so happy. He got to leave this horrible place and go with Miss Kyoko! She had been one of the very few people who actually cared about him, and now he got to stay with her.

Makoto's face lit up at that. "Whoa, seriously?! That's awesome! You should let your dad know right away!" Kyoko nodded and finally broke the hug, much to Harry's disappointment. She smiled and patted his head.

"Sorry, Harry. Can't spend all our time hugging each other." She explained before pulling out her phone and beginning the text to her father. "Dad... I'm adopting Harry. Can you help me?" She spoke the words as she typed, then sent the message.

"Wow... Just like that." Mukuro's voice chimed in as she entered the room. "Hopefully Headmaster Kirigiri doesn't have a heart attack when he reads that."

"Eh, either way I'm still doing it." Kyoko shrugged, before feeling her phone buzz. She looked at the message, which was a simple thumbs up emoji, and the small message 'On my way'. She turned back to Harry now, deciding to explain a few things. "Harry, do you know where Japan is?" The boy shook his head, and Kyoko smiled. "Well, Japan is a country far way away from here, and it's where I live, so I'm gonna have to teach you some things about it..."

Makoto decided to throw his two cents in. "I think it's only fair that you let the others get to know Harry too. He is probably gonna be staying in the dorms."

Kyoko looked thoughtful. Some interactions would be no issue. Hina, Chihiro and Sayaka would no doubt make a wonderful impression, Sakura was a gentle giant through and through, Leon was entirely approachable, Mondo would have no reason to show his temper around Harry, Hagakure was likely to get a little laugh from the boy...

On the other hand, Ishimaru was very loud, which might scare Harry... Yamada's...eccentricities might make him uncomfortable...Fukawa wasn't exactly the most pleasant conversationalist... Byakuya's cold demeanour may upset him... And Junko? That girl was the very definition of loose cannon. Who knew what kind of crazy thing she'd do? "Well, for starters, I live with a bunch of other people." Kyoko began. "You've met three of them, Celeste, Makoto and Mukuro. But there's a lot more." Harry seemed nervous at the mention of there being a lot of people, he didn't like crowds too much... "But I'll be nearby, and a lot of them are very nice, I'm sure you'll get along just fine." Harry still looked hesitant, and Kyoko gave him an understanding smile. "Don't worry too much, Harry. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Okay... Um...I just um... don't really like to be around big crowds..." The boy said softly. Kyoko gave him a sad smile and squeezed hus hand gently.

"That's okay, Harry, that's okay. Baby steps. We can ease you into it. No need for you to meet them all at once." Harry felt a BIT better at that.

"What's Japan like?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Well, it's a big city full of lights, it's beautiful during the day, but at night the entire city seems to come alive in a whole new sense." Kyoko explained, Harry seemed completely enthralled by the explanation. "At night the buildings all light up in a gorgeous display of life." As Kyoko explained her home town to Harry, Mukuro and Makoto exchanged glances before nodding and silently stepping out. They figured Kyoko should bond with Harry on her own for now...

"...So yeah. That pretty much sums up Japan." Kyoko concluded with a smile and a shrug. "You'll like it there, that much I can assure you."

"It does sound really pretty..." Harry conceded softly, nodding his tiny head. Kyoko ruffled his hair, giving him a gentle gaze. He was just perfect... He was so polite and well-mannered, and his voice was the cutest thing she had ever heard. She hated how most of that was quite literally beaten into him, but she swore she'd help him. There would be a day where Harry could finally move on and be happy with who he was.

Kyoko sighed softly, patting Harry's head gently. "I hope you're out of here sooner than later, Harry... I really do..." She said softly. Harry nodded.

"Me too..." He mumbled. The two sat in silence after that... Harry quietly wanted another hug from the detective, but he was too shy to ask for it. Kyoko, however, seemed to notice and gently wrapped her arms around him again, Harry snuggling into the hug and closing his eyes again, then drifting off for another nap. He may have finally gotten away from the Dursley's, but he needed to catch up on a lot of sleep. Kyoko chuckled quietly and smiled at the boy. She gently adjusted his position so that he was lying down, and she gently moved some of his messy black hair away from his eyes, smiling as he let out a quiet coo in response.

She thought back to what she had been told about maternal instincts, and now she understood completely. This desire she felt to protect and care for this boy... It felt natural.

She never imagined herself as a mother before... But looking at the sleeping boy in front of her, she found herself thinking that just maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

There was a knock on the door and she turned to see her father was at the door way. She nodded for him to come in and he walked over to where she was, taking a long sad look at the small boy before them.

"Geez..." He finally muttered. "I can't imagine what he was going through..."

"I know. But things are going to be better for him now. Of that I'm certain." Kyoko said, determination clear in her voice.

Jin nodded his head, then clapped a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Kyoko...You're certain you want to do this? I know I'm not one to talk, but being a parent is a twenty four seven job."

"I know." Kyoko replied. "I'm well aware it's going to be difficult... But I have to do this. Harry... He needs me. I just know he does. And I've...grown attached..." Jin smiled at his daughter, slowly putting a hand on her shoulder and giving a reassuring squeeze.

"I think you're gonna do fine." He simply said. "It'll have it's ups and downs, but I think you're the best choice for the kid. You saved him, you've nurtured him somewhat, it's everything you need to build a strong bond. I like seeing this side of you."

Kyoko blushed and looked away, not even remotely sure how to respond to her father's praise. "Th-Thanks..." She mumbled, crossing her arms.

Jin chuckled, then looked back at Harry. "All right, Kyoko, I'll make sure to get everything set up for you. He'll be in your custody by the end of the trip for sure."

Kyoko nodded. "Excellent. And in the meantime, I have a lot to teach him... He needs at least a basic understanding of the language, for one..."

"Well, there's a small bookstore nearby, maybe you can find some things to help him learn." Jin suggested. "And while I feel like... some of the students will be more of a help than others, I do believe some of your classmates will be able to help as well." Kyoko nodded in agreement. Thinking back to the list she had been making. Mukuro, Makoto and Celeste were fine around Harry but she was still nervous about how the class as a whole was going to react to finding out they were bringing an extra 'student' home with them. Kyoko let a small smile form on her face, she could imagine some of the reactions she'd get...

Sighing, she nodded her head. "I understand, I'll be sure to get him acquainted with the others." Jin patted her head. She bristled slightly and moved away with a huff.

"Heh...I keep forgetting how much you hate it when I pat your head." Jin chuckled slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. Kyoko quirked a brow.

"Do you? Do you really? Because I'm pretty sure you do it just to tease me." Her father chuckled when he saw the slightest trace of a pout on her face.

"Bit of both, bit of both..." He shrugged with a grin. Kyoko sighed, annoyed, then turned back to Harry, who seemed to be waking up.

"Wh..Miss Koko?" He mumbled sleepily.

"I'm here Harry, I'm here." Kyoko said soothingly, running her fingers through his black hair.

"Oh... Good..." The boy mumbled softly, smiling up at her. Then he noticed Jin and looked nervous. "Um... Hi...Mr. Man..." He mumbled softly.

Jin gave the boy a smile. "Hi to you too, Harry. You're healing up well I see." Harry nodded his head slowly and looked down at his injuries.

"Um...I get better quickly...I always did..." He mumbled softly. "I don't really know why, but...it's taking longer to get better than it usually does..."

"Well, that may be because your injuries were more substantial, or because of a new medication you're on, Harry." Kyoko tried to reason, not liking that she had to reason this to begin with, but still. Harry looked up at her, a bit confused, then still seemed nervous about the man in the room and tried to shrink under the blankets some more. Kyoko raised an eyebrow at his demeanour, then looked over at Jin, an expression of understanding appearing on her face. "It's all right, Harry. This is my dad."

Harry still seemed nervous, however, only slightly coming out of the blankets as he looked up at Jin timidly. "Hi Mr. Miss Kyokyo's dad..." Jin chuckled, both to try and defuse the obvious fear in the boy's body, and at his mispronunciation of his daughters name. Also because of how he addressed him.

"Hey buddy." He said calmly. "Glad to see my daughter's taking good care of you." He paused for a moment, then added: "Just so you know, your uncle is going to jail for a LONG time. He's never gonna be able to see you, let alone hurt you, again."

Harry hesitated before nodding his tiny head. "Okay...That's um...That's good, I think..." He mumbled, unsure. He didn't want his uncle hurt...

"Harry, you shouldn't feel bad for that man." Kyoko said gently. "He hurt you, horribly. He's getting punished for being a bad person. Don't think you're at fault here."

"I...uh...okay." Harry finally nodded, partially seeming to finally understand, and partially not wanting to argue with someone much older than him. He knew whenever he talked to someone older than him, he usually got hurt. Kyoko seemed to pick up on that fear and lifted his chin up.

"Hey, it's okay. You're never going to be hurt again." She promised.

"But um...I could still make someone else mad enough to hurt me...I can't stop people from hating me..." Kyoko nodded her head in agreement.

"It's true that you can't stop people from hating you...But if you're well behaved and treat others kindly, they'll have no reason to hate you. And if they do...They're not worth your time." Harry thought about what had been said. He never TRIED to make people not like him, maybe Miss Kyoko was right, and if they were mean to him, it WASN'T his fault. He thought hard about it and remembered how mean the Dursleys were to other people behind their backs... Yeah...They were mean and unpleasable... No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he had always done something wrong. Maybe he HADN'T and they were just mean... Yeah, that made a lot of sense when he thought about it. Add to that the fact that Miss Kyoko and her friends had been nothing but kind to him, they were worth his time, he desperately wanted to be with them, he liked this feeling of acceptance and kindness. He decided to believe what Miss Kyoko was telling him, even if that lingering feeling of doubt continued to persist. He liked Miss Kyoko...She made things so much better...

Harry looked at the detective with a timid smile and tried his best not to look down at the blankets again, wanting to maintain eye contact. "Th-Thank you..."

"Aw, you're welcome Harry." Kyoko replied, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "I promise, things will get better for you. I guarantee." The small boy blushed slightly and tired to hide it. Jin smiled at the interaction between the two. To see his daughter, his normally cold and calculating daughter, treating this boy like he was already a part of the family warmed his heart. She had never smiled this much before either. When his daughter was happy, he too was happy. He knew that this arrangement would be good for them both. Harry slightly reached out and Kyoko gently pushed his arms down, not wanting him to harm himself, he whimpered slightly and Kyoko hugged him once again. She rubbed his back gently and smiled down at him. "Soon, Harry...Soon I'll take you to your new home...Then everything will be okay..."

"Um...I think everything is okay right now..." Harry mumbled shyly. Kyoko raised a brow and smirked lightly. "Um...Everything is okay now because you're here..." Kyoko felt her heart melt when Harry said that. Giving Harry a warm smile and nuzzled the top of his head with her cheek. She may have been seen as an 'Ice Queen' but this little boy was melting her defences at every turn. Then her face turned beet red when she remembered her father was watching. She turned to look at him slowly before wincing, feeling bashful about being seen in such a warm state.

Jin chuckled. "Hey, if you want me to leave, that won't be a problem. I need to get everything in order for you two anyway. Ah...I'm gonna be a grandpa... " Kyoko's eyes widened at that remark. Was she really going to be a mother to Harry? Yes, she was going to be a guardian of sorts, making sure he was safe and taken care of, but mother? She bit her lip as she thought it over and looked down at Harry, who was still happily nuzzled into her hug. She sighed softly, turned to her father and wordlessly nodded in reply, which caused him to smile at her. Then he silently left, leaving the boy and detective alone. Kyoko continued hugging Harry for a few minutes, until she had to let go and address him.

"Harry, I have to go for a little bit." She said, making Harry whine nervously. "I'm not leaving you, I'll be back later, and soon we'll be leaving this place for good. You, me, and the others."

"Okay." Harry mumbled in reply. He didn't like Miss Kyoko leaving, but also knew she would come back.

She smiled and messed up his shaggy dark hair. "There's a good boy. Now be good while I'm gone, all right?" Harry nodded his head in affirmation.

"Okay, Miss Kyoko...Thank you for coming...I liked your visit..." He said softly. Kyoko nodded her head,?

"Of course, Harry. I'll see you soon." Leaving the room, the detective felt an air of pride surrounding her. She had felt this after completing a particularly difficult case, but this... this was different. She knew what it was, and while she had never expected for this to be her future, she was completely okay with it.


	5. Chapter 5

Kyoko walked silently, thinking about tihe whole situation she had found herself in. To think...If she hadn't come on this trip, Harry would have been sent back to the Dursleys... She scowled at the thought, those monsters had gotten away with their crimes for too long, she was relieved to know at least one of them was going to jail, which would probably lead to an investigation and then more legal action being taken against them. All the while, she'd be making sure Harry finally got the life and love he so desperately needed. She allowed a small smile to grace her features, before turning back to her two companions, Makoto and Mukuro. "I have some things I need to take care of. Thank you for coming to meet Harry."

"Any time, Kirigiri." Makoto nodded. "It was great meeting the little guy."

"Agreed." Mukuro nodded. "I hope you can take good care of him. God knows he needs it." Kyoko nodded as they parted ways. Kyoko thought about what she'd need to do before they left, realizing Harry would need some clothes, and probably a book or something to read on the flight. She began mentally taking note of what she needed to get as she headed towards a small coffee house to get something to drink. She placed her order, then waited in silence as she continued to think. Then she noticed more familiar faces. It was none other than the ultimate swimmer herself, Aoi Asahina, eating from a large serving of doughnuts, and the massive ultimate martial artist, Sakura Oogami, silently sipping at her own coffee and listening to Hina talk. She thought about what was happening, and how they'd all react. Aoi would probably love him, but how would they take the news? Sooner or later, she was going to have to tell them, or they'd find out when Harry showed up. After getting her drink, she decided to talk with them auto this, and hope for the best...

She approached the table the other two girls were situated at. Hina noticed her and waved wildly. "Hey Kirigiri!" Sakura turned to see the detective and smiled, nodding her head in greeting.

"Hello, you two." Kyoko greeted. "Mind if I sit here too?" There was no complaint from either girl, and Kyoko took her seat, thinking about what to say next.

"Listen, something's happened." She began, immediately getting the pair's attention.

"Are you okay?!" Aoi immediately asked.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." Kyoko sighed. "But, did you hear about the child who was abused?"

"Yeah, poor little baby!" Aoi cooed sadly. "I wish I could cheer him up, if I knew where he was, I'd take him some donuts..."

"Right, well, he's... he's going to be coming back to Japan with us." Kyoko finally said.

Hina stared at her blankly, trying to process the situation. Sakura chose to speak for her. "What do you mean, Kirigiri? What reason would this child have to go to Japan?"

Kyoko looked down in an attempt to hide her blush. "Um...Well...You see, I'm uh...I'm kinda, sorta planning on...well...adopting him..." The two remained silent for a few moments, Sakura seeming to stare in disbelief and Hina in mute amazement. Kyoko didn't know what to say next, but didn't need to as Aoi suddenly exclaimed loudly:

"Really?!"

"Yes, really. And we are still in a public place." Kyoko sighed in response.

Hina blushed slightly and turned away. "Oh right...Heheh...Sorry about that..." She said sheepishly before her enthusiasm was reinvigorated. "But still though!"

Kyoko looked away. "It's...really not that big a deal, Hina... I'm just gonna be his guardian is all..."

"Guardian, mother, what difference is there?" Sakura shrugged with a smirk on her face. "I must admit, I never expected this to happen on our trip..."

"Neither did I." Kyoko sighed in reply before taking a drink. She looked back up at the swimmer who seemed like she was about to explode with questions. "What?"

"What's his name?! How old is he!? Can I meet him?"

"Okay, calm down Hina."

Hina pouted slightly, but brightened up quickly. "Seriously, though, can I meet him? He looked sooo adorable in that newspaper.''

Kyoko nodded. "Truth be told, I want everyone to meet him at some point before we leave... I need to get some things, but when I go back to the hospital this afternoon, I'll let you know."

"Yay!" Aoi cheered. "Should I bring him some donuts?"

"You and your donuts...' Sakura shook her head.

"Actually, that may not be a bad idea." Kyoko mused. "He's far too skinny. I don't know hospital protocols for allowing outside food to be given to patients, but it couldn't hurt to ask."

Hina pumped her fist with a grin. "Excellent! I'll be sure to bring a nice varied selection so he can find a favourite." Kyoko rolled her eyes with a smile. Hina was a truly amusing girl at times. Perhaps she too would be good for Harry to meet. Then again... it could be worse...

As if on cue, Junko passed by outside, the insanity still clear on her face. Kyoko shuddered slightly dreading having to introduce Harry to... her. She mentally prayed things would be okay between the two. Harry was too pure...

Junko noticed Kyoko looking at her, then turned and waved before entering the building. "Sup, Kyoko? Oh my gosh, I totally can't BELIEVE you're adopting a kid! That is AWESOME!"

Kyoko stared at her in shock. "You...How...When did you..." Junko smirked with a shrug.

"I have a SUPER good sense of hearing. Just like my sis!" Kyoko remained silent, unsure of what to say or do now, but suddenly that feeling slipped away and a feeling of determination.

"Well, it's true." She stated, her emotionless sense returning. "He's coming home with us, so don't try anything."

Junko frowned. "Awww, Kirigiri, you hurt me deeply!" She exclaimed rather dramatically. "What do you TAKE me for, some kind of psycho that wants the world to burn?"Hina, Sakura and Kyoko all exchanged a glance. They did not want to answer that question, so they instead took a sip from their drinks without a word. Junko huffed at their silence and plopped down in a chair next to Sakura. "Soooooo, when do we get to meet the little cutie?" She asked, tilting her head to one side childishly, completely ignoring the annoyed look Kyoko was giving her the entire time. "I bet we're gonna be friends!"

Kyoko sighed. "Junko, when you do meet him, you're gonna have to tone it down. He's shy, if you go in yelling like this, you'll scare him."

Junko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep my voice down, act like a boring lump, blah blah blah." Kyoko mirrored Junko's eye roll after that. Kyoko sighed, rubbing her face slightly. She didn't know how to control Junko, so at this point she figured she just had to hope for the best and pray she didn't traumatize Harry. But then again, what's the worst she could do?

Kyoko nodded her head at Junko. "Okay... I'll take you to see him soon. I still haven't full figured out what I'm going to do about the situation though...

"Aw, don't be like that! You're gonna be a great caretaker!" Kyoko was going to reply, but remained silent, surprised by Junko's compliment. The detective blinked, feeling caught off guard.

"Right. Thanks." She finally replied. Junko grinned and clapped her hand against the detective's back, causing Kyoko to wince slightly. Junko was deceptively strong... She swore she felt a slight crack. Sakura and Hina, who had been watching the whole thing, couldn't help but smile in amusement. Junko was certainly a character, there was no denying that. It was of interest to them all of how she'd react to Harry and vice versa. Aoi believed Harry would grow to like the blonde, and the blonde would adore him. Kyoko though, wasn't too sure. Maybe it was maternal instincts, or maybe it was her own feelings about Junko seeing through, but she wasn't too thrilled about this. Sakura fully expected the blonde to scare the boy the first time around. However, she knew that further meetings with the girl would densensitize him to her eccentricities and he would soon grow to like her. Kyoko looked back to her drink, trying to hide the uneasiness on her face. Thankfully, Junko seemed not to notice (or just ignored it) and continued talking with Aoi. Kyoko let out a small sigh, knowing this was going to have to happen sooner or later, so they might as well get it over with. However, that would have to wait. For now, it was time to go and deal with more pressing matters.

After finishing her drink, Kyoko decided to head on over to the bookstore nearby. She told the others she'd message them when they were going to meet Harry. She had to find out if there was some way she could avoid including Junko in that... She shook her head as she entered the store, and had to admit, it was nicer than she expected. She searched through the store for anything she needed. According to her sources, this was the biggest bookstoe in town. All she needed was...

Yes, here it was...A book that could help her teach him to speak her language. She took it off the shelf and flipped through the pages, to see if it was a satisfactory teaching tool. It seemed simple enough. It had a few short stories in English, then also translated into Japanese, on top of that, there were several pages of phrases and basic words. Kyoko nodded in satisfaction, it was exactly what Harry would need.

She stepped up to the counter and bought the book. She would go over it with Harry later today. Now she just needed to find out how the adoption process was going... She texted her father and waited for the response, a bit more nervous that she felt she should've been. Then again, adopting a child was no easy feat. She was a bit disheartened when her father texted back, saying they wanted to speak with her. This wouldn't be as easy as it should've been... but then again, after what Harry had been through, she figured they wanted to make sure whoever was adopting him really cared for him.

Sighing softly, she texted back, asking where she was to go. Her father replied, and she made her way to the adoption agency Jin had told her to. It was a walk that seemed far longer than it should've been, a million questions bouncing back and forth as Kyoko thought of every question and answer she might he asked or need to give.

By the time the detective reached her destination, she was feeling quite confident in what she was going to say. Steeling her nerves, she entered the building.

As she walked into the adoption agency, she held her head high, determined to do her best, not for her sake, but for Harry's. Kyoko didn't notice that about two hours passed as she left with the docusments making her Harry's legal guardian. The interview had been super easy! She had known all the proper things to say. It was all just a matter of common sense and understanding what a child needed. Looking down at the forms, she just had to smile.

Harry was now her... charge. She had decided on charge for the time being. Part of her wanted to call him her son, but for now, he would be safe and well-taken care of, and that was more than enough. She'd gotten together everything she needed for the day. Now all that was left to do was go back to little Harry for another visit. ...With Junko... Oh boy...

Knowing sooner or later this would have to happen, she made her way back towards the hospital, clutching the papers tightly in one hand, and texting her friends in the other. The three girls responded quickly. Sakura gave a calm, level headed response of affirmation, Hina assured she'd be right over, and Junko replied that she was right behind her. ...Wait, what?

"Hiya Kyoko!"

"GAH!" The detective exclaimed in shock, throwing her hands up in shock and freezing in place. Slowly, she turned around and breathed shakily as she saw the blonde behind her smiling widely. "Junko... Where did..."

"Oh. it doesn't matter." She smiled, catching the paper Kyoko had thrown. "What's this?" The blonde read it over and smirked. "Aaaaah, adoption forms." She handed it back. "That's nice. Okay, time's-a wasting! Let's go, go, go!" Kyoko remained rooted to the spot, both frustrated at the blonde taking the papers, and questioning how she showed up like that. But she also knew this was Junko, and there probably wouldn't be an answer.

Shaking her head, the purplette followed after her friendly acquaintance. 'How Mukuro deals with this on a regular basis I'll never know.' Kyoko thought.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the hospital, where Aoi and Sakura were waiting outside. Sakura was her usual calm self, and Aoi had a box of donuts with her. Kyoko nodded in their direction, stepping up with a small smile. "I see you made well on your promise, Hina. But we'll need to make sure he's healthy enough for doughnuts first."

"I know, if that's not the case, more for me." The swimmer smiled. Sakura chuckled and rolled her eyes as they entered. Kyoko led the way to the door before asking them to wait. Entering the room, she saw Harry's tightened demeanour brighten almost instantly.

"M-Miss Koko!" He greeted eagerly, only to be startled by the sound of Junko's laughter.

"Koko?! That is ADORABLE! Little squirt can't pronounce your name just yet! Hahaha!" Harry whimpered and hid under the blankets. Kyoko's face turned red and she looked back out behind her and glared at Junko angrily. She sighed to calm herself and began rubbing Harry's back to comfort him.

"It's okay, Harry, it's only my...acquaintance, Junko. She may be a little bit loud, but she's perfectly harmless." She assured the boy gently. Harry peeked up from under the sheets to look at Kyoko. It was clear he wasn't used to meeting this many people, but he was trying his best not to let it show.

"Um...Hi everyone..." He mumbled shyly, trying his best to muster up the courage to look up from his bedsheets but not quite able to do it.

"Daaaw! He's so cute~" Aoi cooed, her eyes wide and sparkling when she caught sight of Harry. Sakura smiled warmly at the boy, earning a tiny smile in return. Junko... was almost immediately by his side, giving him a crushing hug.

Harry let out a squeak at the sudden gesture and looked at the fashionista with a nervous look in his eye. "Um...Hi..." He mumbled shyly.

"His voice is so cute~" Junko cheered. "I never wanna let him go!"

"Junko!" Kyoko snapped, finding her voice. "He's still injured! And you're scaring him!"

Junko pouted, her lower lip sticking out, then let out a huff. "Fine, spoilsport." She stepped away from Harry and stood next to Sakura, sulking.

"Harry, these are a few more of my... classmates." Kyoko calmly explained. "She's Sakura," Sakura waved at Harry with a smile. "She's Aoi," Aoi gave Harry a huge grin, Harry mustered up the courage to smile back. "and she's Junko..."

"Hi baby!" Junko exclaimed.

Harry squeaked and hid under his blanket at the volume. "H-Hi...Please don't yell at me again..." The boy replied as Kyoko shot the fashionista an unamused look.

"Seriously. You're scaring him." She growled, now anger beginning to become apparent in her tone. She took Harry's hand to reassure him, and the fashionista seemed to realize she had scared the small boy.

She suddenly became very shy and tapped her fingers together. "Oh...Um...S-Sorry..." She mumbled, and Junko was content that she was now taking on her shy persona.

"It's okay Miss Juno..." Harry mumbled in response, not seeming to understand her multiple personalities. "It was my fault..."

"No Harry. it wasn't." Kyoko frowned. "It wasn't your fault, don't blame yourself.

Harry twiddled his tiny thumbs and looked down timidly. "Okay...But if it wasn't my fault, then...who's fault was it...?" He asked timidly.

"Junko's." Kyoko, Aoi and Sakura all replied at once. Harry looked confused, but eventually shrugged, deciding just to agree with them. Aoi slowly came forward and sat opposite to Kyoko, gently running a hand through Harry's hair.

"Aww, so cute." Aoi smiled.

Harry blushed timidly and looked at her. "Thank you..." He mumbled softly. "Um...And you're pretty..." He said shyly before visibly flinching. Aoi gave a tiny squeal of delight and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, the sudden kiss surprised Harry and he looked at the swimmer before blushing bashfully. Aoi giggled into her hand at the sight. Harry looked at Kyoko with a confused expression, causing the detective to smirk and pat his head. He looked at Aoi again, still reeling from the shock. "Hi miss Aoi." He said quietly, trying not to let his nervousness show. Upon hearing that, Aoi's smile grew even wider.

"He's so precious!" She whisper-shouted. "You're so lucky Kyoko!" Kyoko smiled and shrugged her shoulders, not entirely sure how to respond. Hina giggled and patted Harry's head gently. "You're just a good little guy, aren'tcha?"

"Um. I guess... I don't really know." Harry replied shyly, making all the women present smile warmly at him.

"Well, I can tell you are." Aoi reaffirmed.

"She's right." Kyoko agreed, rubbing Harry's hand soothingly. "You're a very good boy."

Harry decided to disguise his embarrassment by looking over at Sakura. "She's really tall... I bet she's really, really strong..." The muscular girl gave the boy a humble smile.

"Thank you little one." Sakura smiled, cupping his cheek. "I knew Kyoko was kind-hearted, but I think you're the kindest person I've ever met." Harry blushed deeply and pulled the blanket up over his head to hide his embarrassment.

Kyoko smiled at the girls appreciatively. "Thank you. He needs to have his self esteem boosted." The purple haired detective said gratefully. Harry felt odd. So many people were being kind to him, telling him he had value... it was such a strange concept to him. Kyoko gently pulled the blanket off of him so she could look at him.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Harry. Everyone here is your friend." She assured him, giving him a fond smile. Harry smiled back at her.

"You're really nice to me... I still don't know why, but thank you." Harry said quietly, looking up at the detective with his large emerald eyes. Kyoko patted his head. Harry now noticed that Kyoko was wearing gloves, it confused him a little, but he was also happy to simply be held by her. Kyoko noticed him give her gloves a a curious glance and gave off a very small, barely noticeable wince. Harry looked up at her, tilting his head, and she messed up his hair.

"I'll have to ask the doctor if you'll be able to leave soon, I bet you're getting tired of this room." Kyoko said.

"It's the nicest room I've been in..." Harry replied, while Kyoko understood what this meant, the statement seemed to shock the others.

Kyoko turned to the girls with a sad frown. "He's...had difficult living conditions. Life has been very hard on him. His relatives were the ones that put him in the coma."

Confusion was now replaced with shock as the news sunk in. Aoi seemed horrified at what she had been told, Sakura seemed silently angry, but was doing her best not to show it, and all of Junko's personalities were going haywire, as they all wanted to react, but the girl was left silent, a tear running down her face.

"Don't worry little guy." Junko finally said, finding her voice. "No one will EVER hurt you again."

Harry looked at her with a tilted head, before his tiny lips slowly formed into a smile as he decided he did like Miss Junko after all. "Thank you." He said with no hint of a stutter.

"Harry, I... I brought you something to try." Aoi said, her voice shaking slightly as she opened the bag and came closer to Harry. "Have you ever had a donut?"

"A what?" Harry asked confused, answering the swimmer's question.

"Oh my god he's never had a doughnut... This poor thing has never even had a doughnut before..." Hina breathed. "Okay, okay, I have to keep it together...Um... Here..." She handed him one. Harry looked at it, confused for a few moments, then took a timid bite out of it. His eyes widened in amazement as he tore into it, hungrily devouring the doughnut while Hina smiled widely at the scene. "Aww, glad you like it. It's a chocolate doughnut. Simple, but really really good." The swimmer said with a wink as Harry dug into his doughnut.

Kyoko smiled at the sight, Harry's face was in complete awe of the foreign taste he was finally allowed to have. He had seen these before, but was told it wasn't 'freak food'. He finished his doughnut, and when he looked up, Hina and Junko giggled when they saw the crumbs all over his face. Shaking her head fondly, Kyoko pulled a napkin from her skirt pocket and wiped his mouth clean gently.

"Thank you MIss Aoi." Harry said timidly.

"Aww, you're welcome sweetie!" Aoi smiled back at him. "And call me Hina, it's easier that way."

"O..okay Miss Hina..." Harry nodded. The boy looked at the three newcomers and thought about the ones he'd met previously. Miss Celeste, Mr. Makoto, Miss Mukuro... They were all super nice to him...

Miss Hina seemed nice, Miss Sakura he felt safe around, like with Miss Kyoko, and Miss Junko had scared him, but she seemed nice as well. Harry looked up at Kyoko, knowing that to him at least, she was the nicest of them all.

Kyoko noticed the look of unfiltered trust he gave her and smiled, ruffling his hair gently. "I take it you like my friends, huh, little guy?"

"They're nice, but you're nicest." Harry said, looking up at the detective. Kyoko was briefly taken aback, but smiled warmly down at Harry, rubbing his head before giving his forehead a kiss.

Harry was stunned at her action. First she held his hand...Then she gave him hugs... And now this? A kiss on the head? He...He had to be dreaming...

There was a collective "Awww." From the other girls in the room, and Harry blushed, burying his face into Kyoko's jacket. The detective rubbed his back soothingly. She smiled gently, Harry was too adorable for his own good. She herself was blushing, yet she couldn't bring herself to say she was embarrassed. She was...happy and content. Especially after seeing Harry's reaction.

Harry reached forward again, ignoring the pain, and gave Kyoko a tiny hug at her waist. The detective giggled lightly and returned the hug, earning a delighted squeal from Hina and Junko. Sakura just opted for a small smile. "I believe we'll make our leave now." She looked to the other girls before they could protest. "Let's give them time to bond."

The three quietly left, leaving the two in a happy embrace. Kyoko felt right, this was right. She was apprehensive to say the least about bonding with a case victim, but Harry was the exception to the rule. She... she loved him, and it was clear he loved her. She was growing softer because of him... She could practically feel her icy shell melting away into nothing the more time she spent in the boy's presence.

She sighed contently and looked down into his eyes. "Thank you, that's very sweet of you to say." She said calmly, a small smile on her face.

"It's true..." Harry mumbled, seeming embarrassed of what he had said. Kyoko chuckled softly and messed up his hair affectionately. He leaned into the touch like an affection starved kitten, which melted her heart further. "M-Miss Koko...? Why do you wear gloves? Are your hands cold?"

This gave the detective pause, she hadn't really thought about this before now. She looked at Harry, then at her hands. "I... I wear them to help when I'm working on a case." She explained the best she could.

She...had her own reasons for wearing the gloves. Reasons she didn't really feel comfortable sharing with anyone just yet. She had secrets she'd prefer to keep as well...

"That makes sense." Harry replied, seeming to understand the detective's reasoning. Kyoko gave a small sigh of relief. "Um, where am I going to stay when I leave? You said I'd be going back to Japan... but where am I gonna live?"

Kyoko smiled and patted his head. "You'll be staying with me, of course. I am going to be your caretaker, after all." Harry perked right up when he heard that.

"Really?!" He gasped, his eyes widening when he heard that.

"Of course, you'll be safe, love." Kyoko nodded, rubbing his head.

"Thank you..." Harry mumbled, smiling as tears began to form in his eyes. Noticing his tears, Kyoko carefully removed him from the bed and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly against her bosom as she rocked him gently.

This was the first time she ever held someone like this, so she was a little awkward, but when she felt Harry nuzzle closer, she knew she was doing something right. To Harry, this was the greatest feeling he had ever experienced. Miss Kyoko felt warm... Warmer than any blanket he had ever used...He loved being held like this...He hoped the moments like this could last forever.

He gave a small whine when Kyoko sat him back down in the bed. "Don't worry Harry, on the flight home, you can stay close to me the whole time." The detective smiled slightly when she saw Harry's face light up. She chuckled and gave his hand another gentle squeeze, causing a smile to form on his face. "It's time for me to go now, little guy..." She said gently.

"But...But..." Harry stammered, suddenly seeming very upset. Kyoko sighed and hugged him again.

"I know, I know." She sighed. "I promise, we'll be out of this place soon." Harry leaned into the detective's embrace with a nervous look on his face. Kyoko gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry...You're recovering amazingly fast. You'll be out of here soon." Harry looked up and nodded at Kyoko. He trusted her, and if she said he be out of here soon, than she was right. The detective smiled and pulled the blanket back up over him.

"I'll be back soon, I promise." Harry clutched the covers in his tiny hands and smiled up at her softly. Kyoko leaned down and kissed his forehead once more, causing him to coo adorably.

"Bye Miss Keyoko." Harry said, smiling up at her. Kyoko waved goodbye as she she left the room, gently closing the door behind her. Turning around, she exclaimed in surprise as she saw the others looking at her with a huge grin. She felt her bashfulness return at full force and looked away from the other three with a tomato red face, tapping her index fingers together nervously.

"W..what? She finally managed to get out.

"What? What?" Junko laughed. "That little cutie is the most precious thing ever! And the two of you are adorable!"

"I can't beleive I'm saying this, but Junko's right." Sakura nodded.

"Hey!"

"The two of you already seem inseparable."

Kyoko looked away, saying nothing in response. Words were currently failing her. She had no clue how to respond to the situation at all... The others noticed this and seemed to laugh slightly at the embarrassed detective. The three hadn't seen Kyoko show this much expression before, let alone seem so embarrassed. It was oddly entertaining.

Kyoko groaned in annoyance and buried her face in her hands to hide her blush the best she could, even though she knew it was pointless. They had seen already... "Hey." Hina finally said. "Don't be embarrassed! You care for the little guy, that's wonderful!"

Kyoko sighed and looked back up at the others, nodding slightly. "I guess you're right..." She looked them all dead in the eyes with newfound determination. "Thank you all." She said sincerely. "I hope the rest of the introductions go this smoothly."

"Well, I don't' see why they wouldn't." Junko shrugged. "He's a little cutie, and I don't think anyone in our class is that cruel or eccentric..." Kyoko raised a brow in a 'really?' sort of way, but the fashionista didn't seem to notice.

The detective shook her head in bemusement, then looked back at Harry's room with a sigh. "I just hope he'll be ready to come back with me soon..."

"Well, I think it's safe to say he'll certainly have a better life than he did here." Sakura remarked, and the others nodded in agreement.

Kyoko smiled sadly. "That certainly goes without saying..." She agreed softly, clenching her fists. Then she remembered the books. "Oh...In all the excitement, I forgot to start teaching him our language..."

"Well, it's at least a twelve hour flight home." Hina shrugged. "I think between the introductions and the two of you hugging one another, you'll be able to teach him a few things to say." Kyoko nodded, Hina had an odd way of putting things, but she was right.

She gave the room one last glance before nodding in her friends' direction. "Thank you all for coming. Really, I can't thank you enough."

"Once again, he's adorable. Totally worth it." Junko remarked, summarizing what she and the others were feeling. While this was happening, a nurse exited Harry's room and turned to Kyoko.

"Excuse me, miss...um..."

"Kirigiri."

"Yes, Miss Kirigiri. You'll be happy to know that little Harry is healing miraculously fast. In fact, he'll probably be ready to leave by tomorrow!"

"That's wonderful!" Kyoko sighed in relief. "Thank you for letting me know." The nurse smiled and nodded before heading off to go check on another patient. Kyoko felt happy that Harry would finally be out of here. She looked back at the girls. "Well...I believe that takes care of all my duties...I think it's time I went back to the hotel..."

"Yeah, you could do the BORING thing...Or we could all go eat at a kickass restaurant!" Junko exclaimed. Kyoko opened her mouth to protest, but her shoulders sagged and she sighed, knowing one way or another, she was going to end up going to the restaurant.

"Alright, What's it called?" She muttered.

"The Celebella Eatery!"

Kyoko raised a brow. "Celebella eatery?" She asked. "Okay then...Let's get going, I guess..." Junko grinned and led the way to the eatery.

Harry meanwhile, had been tucked back into bed by the nurse, and was dreaming peacefully about Miss Kyoko. He really liked her, she was kind and gave him hugs... as he fell into a deep sleep, he mumbled:

"Mommy..."


	6. Chapter 6

Kyoko sighed softly as she entered her and Celeste's room and moved a cup of ramen off of her head. Honestly, it was no real surprise to her that Junko had started that food fight. "Ah. Lunch with Junko I assume?" Celeste remarked, looking at her roommates condition.

"Yes." Kyoko grumbled, wiping more of the food out of her hair. "Does Junko have it out for us or something? It seems like everytimewe go for food somewhere, she has to start a fight."

"Well, hopefully she'll be more behaved around little Harry."

Kyoko sighed. "Oh, she was... There's lines even that crazy girl won't cross, and scaring a little boy like Harry is one of them. ...Oh yeah...He's coming here tomorrow." Celeste seemed surprised, then smiled widely.

"That's delightful." She remarked. "It'll be nice getting to spend some time with the little dear before we leave." Kyoko was still trying to get all the food out of her hair, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yeah...And it's the perfect opportunity to get him acquainted with the rest of the class...If he managed to get through Junko without incident, the rest shouldn't be an issue, right?"

Celeste clicked her tongue. "Hmm...Well, Ishimaru will need to keep quiet... And Yamada..." Celeste's eyes darkened. "I will have words with him to be sure he doesn't corrupt the poor dear with his filth."

"Thanks." Kyoko sighed. "I just don't know what he'll do... honestly, I haven't really been able to predict how anyone was going to react."

"Well, I think he's a well-behaved angel." Celeste insisted.

Kyoko let a fond smile grace her features at the gothic gambler's words. "Yes... Yes he is..." She said softly, remembering their interactions at the hospital.

"I'll be frank, while London is a very nice place, I do look forward to returning home." Celeste remarked, looking out a window at the sun setting over the city.

Kyoko nodded her head. "Yeah, me too..." She admitted. "Still very glad we came though..." Her smile had yet to fade, and Celeste noted that it really was unusual to see the girl this happy. Then again, she had just saved a little boy, and was bringing him home with them. In a way, it was the oddest souvenir one could possibly bring back. Not that she minded, she quite liked Harry.

Kyoko sighed and began to think about how she was going to spend the rest of her day. Perhaps she would read one of her mystery novels. ...Right after a shower, of course.

As she washed the last bits of ramen out of her hair, she felt like she was washing her old self off. It was an odd feeling, while she may still be cold in some cases, as one had to be when working cases, Harry... melted something she had froze ages ago. She smiled again, remembering the feeling she'd had when she pulled him out of his bed and held him in her arms for the first time. He was so light and so cuddly...

It was undeniable that Harry loved her, and she loved him right back. How couldn't she? He was the sweetest, kindest little thing. She rubbed the shampoo into her hair, smiling softly in content. Perhaps she was still young, perhaps she had made a rash decision in adopting him... But she knew it was the right decision. After all, it had saved him from a lifetime of abuse, and it's not like anyone else was going to take care of him. After all, Harry didn't have anyone else until now.

Upon finishing her shower, she decided it was time to take a few hours to herself. She pulled one of her favourite novels off the shelf and cracked it open. As she read it, she found her thoughts still drifting back to Harry, she still felt somewhat uneasy, would she be a good guardian? Could she take care of him like he needed and deserved?

She tried to force those thoughts out of her head. This was no time to doubt herself. What was done was done. She would just have to try her very best. With those thoughts now in her mind she settled down, returning to her story, and finding herself drawn once again into the world of mystery that her book managed to create so etcuisetly.

Eventually, dinnertime arrived, and Kyoko was pulled from the pages of her book by the sound of her own grumbling stomach. "Hmm...Time to eat I guess..." She mumbled. She hoped Junko wouldn't turn this one into another fight. She didn't want to run out of clean clothes. Making her way out of her room, she headed towards the lobby to meet with the others.

When she went down, she was greeted with the sight of the odd trio Oowada, Ishimaru and Fujisaki at the dinner table, the trio chatting it up animatedly. She got herself some food and looked around for a place to sit, only to stop when she heard someone call her name.

"Hey Kirigiri!" Fujisaki called. "Over here! We wanna ask you something!" Sighing, she knew this would probably be about Harry and headed over to the table.

She took a seat next to Fujisaki and looked at the programmer. "Junko told you about Harry, didn't she?" She wasn't one to beat around the bush. Chihiro laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah... she was kinda telling everyone..." he admitted, and Kyoko sighed deeply. "Is it true? You adopted a kid?"

"I..I wouldn't say 'adopted' but..." Kyoko tried to think of how to put it, but knew it's what she had done.

She smiled very slightly when she felt Mondo's hand clap against her back in a friendly manner. "Ah c'mon, don't be so modest! You're doing a good thing here!"

"Indeed!" Ishimaru agreed. "Taking in this boy with nowhere else to go is a sign of great maturity on your end! You should be proud!"

Kyoko nodded both her thanks and agreement until Fujisaki asked the most obvious question. "When do we get to meet him?"

Kyoko sighed, rubbing her face slighlty. She really couldn't trust Junko to keep anything quiet it seemed. "Tomorrow possibly." She answered honestly.

Mondo grinned. "Damn. Healed up that fast, did he? Few days out of that coma and he's already heading on out of there. That kid's tough, that's for sure." Kyoko didn't like how Mondo explained Harry's miraculoious recovery, but she also couldn't say he was wrong. Harry was handling this far better than anyone could've predicted. Probably because he was too scared to react... Mondo noticed Kyoko's displeasure and quickly backpedaled. "Hey, I didn't mean anything bad by it, I'm just saying, the kid's a survivor. A real man."

"I know, and I understand... it's just..." she trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"He shouldn't have to be a survivor in the first place." Ishimaru said matter-of-factly. Kyoko nodded.

"My thoughts exactly." She practically growled.

"Hey, Kyoko, He's gonna be okay." Fujisaki said reassuringly. "He's got you now."

Kyoko's face turned red. "Yeah, well... Honestly, I can't help but think he'd have been better off with Naegi or Hina or Maizono than me..."

"Well, the thing to remember is that he's with you though." Fujisaki countered. "I doubt he thinks that someone would be better of taking care of him."

Kyoko sighed and looked at the table. "Yeah, you're right... If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't be able to imagine anyone else taking care of me besides the first..."

"And hey, it's not like Junko's the one who's going to be taking care of him." Mondo added, earning a slight snort from Fujisaki. Kyoko couldn't help but laugh slightly as well.

"Junko raising a child! Hahaha! Oh, the outlandish scenarios you come up with, bro!" Ishimaru laughed, prompting the two boys to pat each other's backs in a friendly manner. Kyoko looked to Fujisaki and the two simply smirked slightly. Kyoko had to admit, the thought of Junko raising a child... especially Harry... that was a frightening thought.

Kyoko's rumbling stomach pulled her from her thoughts, reminding her why she came down in the first place. She blushed and rose to her feet. "I'll...be getting my dinner now..." Leaving the table, she thankfully ran into Makoto and Mukuro in the line to get food.

"Oh, hey Kirigiri." Makoto remarked. "How was your day?"

"...eventful." She replied simply. Makoto pressed no further, deciding that she was in one of her moods where she just wanted to think. After getting her food, Kyoko took it to her room. She sat on her bed, silently eating her food, she cast a glance out the window, hoping Harry was doing fine.

Back at the hospital, Harry was currently finishing his meal, and a nurse was wiping his mouth, Harry didn't mind this nurse, she was like Miss Kyoko, she was kind.

"Um... Miss Nurse? When is Miss Kyoko coming back?" He asked timidly.

The nurse looked at him before smiling and patting his head gently. "Probably tomorrow, dear. She seems very attached to you you know." Harry blushed slightly and let himself be set back down into the bed and have the blankets pulled up over him.

"She's really, nice, she's like my mommy..." He mumbled.

The nurse couldn't help but let out a soft giggle at those words. "Yes, she really is, isn't she?" She patted the boy's head. "Now, you really must go to sleep, dear."

"M'kay." Harry mumbled sleepily, his eyes growing heavy as he fell into a comfortable sleep, a warm dream of Kyoko's comforting hugs playing in his mind. The nurse left quietly, and Harry smiled softly in his sleep. For the first time in what felt like his entire life, he didn't have a single bad dream.

Kyoko continued reading her book, once again drawn into the mystery it presented, she let a small smile form on her face as she thought about tomorrow, Harry would be coming back with her.


	7. Chapter 7

Kyoko stood in front of the hospital's doors with a small smile, This was it, this was the day she was going to take her adopted son out of the hospital for the first time. She took a deep breath then walked through the doors. She made her way quickly and quietly towards the room where Harry was. The small boy's face lit up when he saw her enter. "Miss Kyoko!" He greeted. Kyoko gave him a light smirk and knelt by his bedside, patting his head gently.

"Hey, you said my name right. Good for you." She said warmly. Harry beamed happily at both the compliment and the contact. Kyoko decided to just enjoy this moment, running her hand through his hair. "You ready to leave?" She asked.

Harry's eyes widened. "L-Leave...?" He asked. Kyoko nodded her head in affirmation.

"Yeah. You're discharged now, little guy. I can take you out of here."

"Oh, okay." Harry said, relief clear in his voice. "Okay, where are we gonna go?"

"To a hotel for a few days, then back to Japan." Kyoko answered.

Harry tilted his head. "Japan?" He asked curiously. Kyoko nodded her head and took a seat next to his bed.

"Yeah. I come from a different part of the world completely."

"Oh." He said, trying his best to seem like he understood. Kyoko smiled softly as she began to explain.

"Well, if England is here..." She said, pointing to the door she came through. "Then Japan is over there." She finished pointing to a window on the other side of the room.

"Okay...So um...England and Japan are neighbours...?" Kyoko shrugged her shoulders at the boy's question.

"In a sense, I suppose." She replied. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she looked down at Harry. "Harry, are you able to walk in the state you're in?"

"Uh... the nurses said it was best I just stay in bed... so I dunno..." Harry mumbled in response.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to carry you for a bit then." Kyoko said with a slight smile. Harry perked right up at that, and true to her word, Kyoko carefully picked him up and held him in her arms, hugging him close against her chest. Harry tried his best to hug her back. At first he couldn't because it caused him too much pain, but now he couldn't because his arms were too small. Kyoko however, still felt her heart warm at the attempt. She rocked him back and forth gently, running her fingers through his hair. "Come on... Let's go and get you fed. I imagine you're tired of hospital food, right?"

"It's the best I've had." Harry replied honesty. "And I didn't want to seem rude to the people who made it." Kyoko smiled sadly at that, resting his head against her shoulder.

"It's okay, Harry, I'll make sure you eat properly from now on." She began to make her way out of the room, keeping most of her attention on the boy in her arms.

After a little bit of paperwork, Kyoko sighed in relief as she felt a new sense of hope overtake her as she and Harry stepped out into the bright sunny morning. Harry seemed a bit blinded for a moment, then his eyes adjusted and he looked around. He didn't feel afraid, Miss Kyoko was here, and he knew she wasn't going to hurt him. Kyoko looked over at him with a small smile and kissed his cheek, blushing very slightly as she did so. "Now...How about we spend a day out together?"

"Yes please!" Harry practically burst at the offer. Kyoko let a smile form on her face as she decided first things first she needed to get some food into Harry's belly. She remembered the Café where Junko decided to start a food fight, and decided to find a calmer place for the two to eat. Harry probably wouldn't like crowds too much anyway.

She quickly settled on a small fast food restaurant. It was cheap, it would taste fine, it wouldn't be overly crowded, it would do the job just nicely. Harry had no complaints or protests, mostly just Happy to be with Miss Kyoko, as the two entered and sat down at a table. Kyoko looked over a menu, and assumed she'd have to help Harry order. She saw the kid's meal and decided that would be an adequate choice for the boy to eat. She herself simply ordered some fries and a vanilla milkshake. She sat running her fingers through Harry's hair, the small boy nuzzling into the contact happily, having an almost sleepy look on his face. "Don't fall asleep now Harry." She smiled. "The food's on its way." Harry winced slightly and sat upright, almost rigidly. Kyoko sighed. "You don't have to be afraid... I'm not going to punish you or anything." Harry nodded and seemed to readjust himself so he was leaning against her still. Kyoko smiled, one arm wrapped around him to hold him and keep him from falling off. When their food arrived, Kyoko set Harry down at the opposite end of the table. He was slightly disappointed, but he knew full well why she did it. Harry seemed to wait until Kyoko noticed and frowned slightly, confused as to why he wasn't eating yet. "Go on Harry, you need to eat something." She said kindly.

"I..I wanted to make sure it was okay." Harry murmured.

Kyoko reached over and grabbed the boy's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It is okay, Harry. It will always be okay. I'd never starve you like your relatives did." She absolutely refused to refer to those monsters as a 'family'.

"But... But what if...What if..." Kyoko squeezed his hand again and he looked into her eyes. He saw...warmth...Calmness... And reassurance that all would be well... He decided he could trust her. That she wouldn't hurt him the way his family had, and he began to eat, it was an odd experience at first, and then he found it to be some of the best tasting food he ever had! Kyoko watched him eat his burger with great satisfaction. He ate slowly, trying to savour every bite. Shaking her head in amusement, the purplette ate her fries.

"Do you like it?" She asked, smiling at Harry, who nodded his head feverishly, eyes wide and sparkling.

"It's better than anything I've ever had."

'That goes without saying.' Kyoko thought to herself, maintaining her smile. The two ate in relative silence, neither one being all that much of a conversationalist. Soon enough, they finished their meal, and Kyoko paid the bill before picking her newly adopted son up and stepping outside, thinking about where to take him next. She looked down at Harry, who was happy to be in her arms. She thought about what Harry needed, she bought some books for him, she didn't feel like shopping for clothes today, but maybe... a warm smile formed on her face. She thought of something Harry would probably love.

"Harry, do you have a stuffed animal?" She asked.

Harry looked up at her blinking brightly. "Um...I used to, but... I made Uncle Vernon really mad, and so he took it away and he threw it in the fireplace..." Kyoko was thankfully able to hide both her shock and anger, but her eyes did widen a little bit. Internally she was seething, what that man did was in humane...

"Well, how about we go find you another one?" She asked.

Harry's eyes widened. "R-Really...? A new teddy...?" He asked excitedly. Kyoko let out a soft laugh and rubbed his head gently.

"Yeah. A new teddy."

"You don't have to, I don't deser-" Harry began, but Kyoko cut him off.

"Harry, please don't talk about yourself like that, okay?" She said kindly but sternly. "Everything your uncle ever told you was wrong."

"Okay...Okay..." The boy said softly. "I'll try really hard to remember..." Kyoko smiled and patted his head.

"Good..." She decided to just enjoy this moment, holding Harry close, feeling the warmth and love radiating off of him, it was perfect. For a few minutes, she completely forgot about where she was taking the boy, too caught up in their little tender moment. When she remembered, she blushed lightly. The two made their way down the street, Kyoko remembered that the bookstore where she had gotten some books to help teach Harry also had some stuffed animals. She then remembered she still needed to teach Harry a little of their language. She decided to start as they walked. "Okay, Harry... If you're going to live in Japan with me, you'll have to learn to speak the language, okay?"

"Okay." Harry said, looking up at Kyoko.

"So, here are a few simple phrases, try your best to repeat after me, and don't worry if you can't get it right on your first try." Harry nodded obediently. "Konnichiwa." Kyoko began with a very simple word.

"Cone...eat...ewa?" Harry tried to sound out the word, making Kyoko giggle at his valiant effort.

"Ko-Nee-Chee-Wa." She said slowly so he could understand it easier. Harry stuttered a bit, but managed to repeat after her. "Very good. You just said hello in Japanese." Harry seemed to beam at that, and Kyoko found it adorable. She thought about what to teach him next. "To-mo-da-chi." She said, sounding out the word. This went on the entire walk to the book store, and Kyoko couldn't help but smile brightly. The boy was smart. Very much so. He caught on so easily. By the time the pair arrived, he had a very simple but important phrases down solid. Much more successful than Kyoko had believed one could learn a language in such a short time. They arrived at the store, and Kyoko took him in. "You're doing amazing, Harry." She praised. "I'll quiz you on this later on, okay?" Harry nodded his affirmation. The two walked (or in Harry's case, sat in Kyoko's arms) through the store, eventually coming to a small section where there was a pile of stuffed animals. "Okay Harry, which do you want?" Kyoko asked kindly. Harry looked at the small collection of plush toys before finding one he liked. It was a small purple fox, a very similar shade of purple to his new caregiver's hair. He picked it up and hugged it close, Kyoko smiled and patted his head. "I take it you've found the one you'd like?" She asked.

"Yes Miss Kyoko." Harry nodded. "I'll work hard to pay you back, and-"

"No, you won't." Kyoko shook her head calmly. "It's a gift. You don't have to repay me for something so small." She assured him gently. Harry looked down, confused by Kyoko's kindness. She seemed to notice and gently lifted his chin up and smiled at him. "Hey, it's okay sweetie." She smiled. He smiled back softly, and Kyoko reached out, taking the plush and handing it to him. He took it and nuzzled it, hugging it close with a big smile. Kyoko felt her heart beat a little bit faster at the adorable scene she was watching. After paying for the stuffed animal, the pair walked back out into the city. Kyoko adjusted Harry and smiled down at him. "What would you like to do now?" She asked.

Harry timidly buried his face into the plush toy. "Whatever you want to do... I... I don't really know a lot of stuff..." The boy admitted softly. Kyoko gave a small, somewhat sad smile down at him, then looked around. She thought about the small café where she had met Hina and the others yesterday, but they had already eaten... then she remembered a small park nearby, and began to make her way towards it. Harry sat in her arms in a comfortable silence, patiently waiting to see where the purple haired detective was going to take him. When he saw the park, he was stunned into silence. HE got to come HERE? Kyoko seemed to notice the shocked look on his face and bit her lip to try and hide a frown from forming. She wanted to ask Harry if he had ever been here, but she already knew the answer and the answer to her follow up question, so she decided to just let him enjoy it.

She looked around before deciding to settle on the swingset, something they could both do together. Setting the boy down on the swing, she smiled softly. "Just tell me if I push too high, okay?" Harry nodded timidly, unsure about what this was, and was surprised when he suddenly went forward, then back, then forward, a little higher this time. He felt slightly queasy at first, but his tummy got used to it fairly quickly, and he found himself liking the feeling. It soothed him... Made him feel relaxed... He enjoyed the feeling of swinging, and he could see all around him! It was so cool! Kyoko smiled as she saw Harry's fear melt away into excitement on the swing. She loved seeing him overcome his terror, and this was no exception. The two stayed like this for an hour or so, before they eventually decided to try something else. She took the boy to the jungle gym. It occurred to her that Harry may not be strong enough to use the climbing bars, but at least he could use the slide. She watched the boy climb up the jungle gym and use the slide repeatedly, waiting for him to grow weary of it. He seemed to really enjoy the slide. After awhile, Harry wanted to be with Miss Kyoko again, and when he finished on the slide, he held his arms up, signaling he was finished. Kyoko smiled and lifted him up into a warm embrace. She watched fondly as the boy snuggled up into her embrace and moved a stray lock of hair out of his face. "Enjoying yourself?" She asked, to which Harry nodded his head cheerfully. The tiny boy then tried his best to hug Kyoko, but he was still so tiny he couldn't reach all the way around. Kyoko still found it sweet and gave him a hug in response. "Anything else you'd like to do today?" She asked with a tilted head. Harry looked down shyly.

"Um... Can we just sit down somewhere for a bit and um...hug?" He asked softly, wanting to experience more of her warmth.

"Sure." Kyoko replied, carrying him over to a bench and sitting down on it. She wrapped her arms around Harry again and felt the tiny boy snuggle closer. She had to chuckle slightly as the tiny bundle in her arms cuddled in close to her. He was just far too precious for his own good, wanting to just spend time cuddling with her... Honestly, little Harry would have melted the heart of anyone, even the coldest, most indifferent person alive. Well... No... That wasn't entirely true... There was still someone that had been willing to hurt him... Kyoko his a scowl as she rubbed Harry's back while the tiny boy smiled into her chest. That man was gone, he wouldn't hurt Harry ever again.

Yet... Kyoko knew he would, one way or another. The nightmares Harry probably would be saddled with for years wouldn't be pleasant... She exhaled through her nose at the thought, but decided to throw it to the wayside. She was there for him now... She would be the one to guide him through it... Or at least she hoped she would... Truth be told, she still had her doubts about her parenting skills... What if she proved too cold and distant to be of help when he needed her? What if there were things he needed help with that she knew nothing about? Was she truly ready for this responsibility?

Before Kyoko could continue on this train of thought, she saw Harry snuggle closer and drift off to sleep, content in her arms. Immediately, all doubt and fear slipped away as she patted his head. She sat with him on the bench in silence, allowing him to sleep, worried that even the slightest move to get up would wake him. His soft snores brought a smile to her face. Eventually, however, she needed to get up, as her legs were beginning to grow stiff. Slowly, carefully, she rose to her feet and gave Harry a kiss on the head. Harry's tiny breathing could be heard as she walked down the street, making sure he had a secure hold on Harry. She bounced him in her arms very gently, taking great care not to wake him. She silently wondered if there were any pressing matters to attend to today.

Then she remembered that she still had several classmates left to introduce Harry to. Sayaka, Leon, Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Hifumi, Byakuya, Toko and Yasuhiro. She sighed slightly, thinking about what was most likely going to happen when she introduced Harry to everyone. But still, she could enjoy this time, just the two of them. It was a nice, quiet walk back to the hotel... But it was quickly interrupted when Hifumi Yamada was thrown out the door, landing at her feet.

"Please, I assure you, it was all one big misunderstand-Hmm? Oh, hello there, Lady Kirigiri. And how are we doing on this lovely day?" The overweight teen asked.

"You were caught peeping at the other girls changing, weren't you?"

"M-My interests are specifically 2D, Lady Kirigiri! You know this very well!" Kyoko mentally sighed, knowing this was going to be a very, VERY awkward introduction. She almost wished Junko would appear out of thin air like she does... she didn't want to expose Harry to... well, Hifumi's 'Art'. Hifumi then noticed Harry, and rose to his feet. "Hmm? Well, well! And who might this be?" He asked, adjusting his glasses and leaning in to get a closer look.

Harry blinked at him. "Um... I'm Harry, Mister...um..."

"Oh my, where are my manners? My name is Hifumi Yamada! But if you prefer, you may call me by my codename... The Alpha and the Omega!" Kyoko sweat dropped at that, and Harry tilted his head in confusion, unsure why Hifumi was called that, but he decided not to question it, he simply nodded in response. The large boy adjusted his glasses and smirked lightly. "Now then, Miss Kirigiri... Might I inquire as to where exactly this young man came from? Could it be that you're hiding a secret relationship? Did things get... intimate?" It was a very unusual sight for the calm, stoic Kyoko to turn completely red. But that was exactly what ended up happening as she listened to Hifumi's insinuations. Harry looked up at Kyoko seeing her turn red, and was also confused by what had been asked.

"Miss Kyoko?" Harry asked. Kyoko even found herself currently struggling to breathe.

"That-You-I-" She sputtered. "Y-Yamada, you're... You're such a..." She struggled to find the words. Never before had she been the butt end of one of Yamada's suggestive comments. Yamada now went silent, realizing that Kyoko was deeply offended by his comment, and his face flustered as he tired to correct himself.

"Well, er... what I meant to say... I..." What got him more than anything wasn't Kyoko's flustered face, but the mixture of confusion and what almost looked like disappointment on Harry's face, as if he was saying 'You done messed up'. Eventually, Kyoko grew fed up with fumbling for an answer and just settled for giving Yamada a quick kick to the shin, careful to make sure Harry didn't notice. "Urk...! Okay... I probably deserved that..." He mumbled. Kyoko huffed.

''If you must know, he's recently adopted."

"Oh, sounds like some of the stories I've seen floating around on the web. Well, he seems perfectly happy with you, so I wish you both the best." The sincerity did make Kyoko feel better, as she nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you, Yamada, I appreciate your well wishes." Hifumi straightened up and adjusted his tie.

"Not a problem, Lady Kirigiri! Now then, I really must find something to do, as I am not allowed back in the hotel until bathing hours end." Kyoko rolled her eyes and walked past him and into the hotel, Harry tugged slightly on Kyoko's shirt to get her attention, and the detective looked down at him.

"What is it honey?" She asked.

"Um... What was that all about? You seemed mad..." Harry asked innocently.

Kyoko sighed softly and stroked his head gently. "That's...a story for when you're older." She explained gently. Harry seemed confused by the answer, but accepted it nonetheless. She remembered the initial group she promised to introduce him to and decided to go and find the unlikely trio. She found them easy enough in the game room, at the pool table. Mondo was lining up a shot when he glanced up and saw the two walking towards them, setting the cue down he got the other's attention, and they all turned to greet Kyoko and the newcomer.

"Well, the little prince has finally arrived!" Mondo said with a friendly smirk.

Harry blinked his eyes at what Mondo said. "P-Prince...?" He asked curiously before looking at Kyoko. "I didn't know you were a queen, Miss Kyoko." He said with the utmost sincerity. Mondo immediately did his best to hide his laughter while Kyoko was taken aback by Harry's sincerity. The other two's eyes widened in surprise before they also tried to hide their laughs.

"Oh, no, young man." It was odd to hear Taka speak so calmly, but Kyoko greatly appreciated the effort to restrain himself. "It is a figure of speech, that's all. My bro was comparing you to a sleeping prince, not unlike one you would find in a fairy tail."

"Oh... I get it, because I went to sleep for a long time." Harry said, nodding in understanding. He only intended to show he understood...but he also set a more somber mood in everyone.

"I take it that Miss Kirigiri has been treating you well? You certainly seem happy with her." Taka continued, trying to lighten the mood.

"She's really nice..." Harry replied, blushing slightly as he looked away.

"Uh-huh! She really is." Chihiro piped up, stepping forward. "She takes a little time to warm up, but...when she does, she's one of the nicest people I know."

"She is." Harry agreed with a tiny nod. Chihiro smieled at him before asking:

"You hungry at all little guy?"

"No thank you ma'm." Harry replied, still somewhat nervously. However, everyone seemed a bit surprised as they looked to one another.

"Heh..." Mondo chuckled. "Who's gonna explain it?"

"Um... Well, actually, I'm a boy." Chihiro explained calmly. "Everybody makes that mistake." Harry looked mortified by what she told him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude..." He squeaked out, before going silent, worried about putting his foot in his mouth and making them hate him.

"Hey it's okay little guy." Chihiro replied with a smile, noticing the fear on Harry's face. "You didn't know, it wasn't your fault." Harry looked up again and seemed relieved. Kyoko patted his head to try and calm him.

"No one's going to hurt you, Harry." She assured gently. Mondo stepped up to get a better look, then let out an impressed whistle at the sight of Harry's forehead.

"Hey, sweet looking scar there, kid. Shaped exactly like a lightning bolt." Harry looked down self consciously. "C'mon, kid, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Ya know what scars mean?" Harry looked up at him. "It means you toughed it out and came out on top. It's the marking of a man." Kyoko wanted to say something, but Harry suddenly spoke up.

"Um... thanks. I got it in the car crash that killed my mommy and daddy..." An icy silence fell over the small group, everyone was taken aback by what had just been said. Even Mondo, the somewhat hot-headed guy he was, was at an absolute loss of words. Kyoko silently tightened her hold on Harry, stroking his head gently. While she was at a loss for words after hearing that, she still wanted to make sure he knew that she was there for him. Harry seemed saddened once again, but Kyoko's presence helped, and he leaned into her affection. Despite what had just been revealed, everyone present had to admit there was something pretty cute about the pair's interactions.

Kyoko smiled slightly at Mondo, mouthing a quick 'Thank you' to him for giving him some encouragement regarding his scars. Mondo, despite himself, smiled and gave a thumbs up. Harry looked around now, having spent all his life in his cupboard and then the hospital bed, this big place was new... and it was beautful as well.

He looked up at Kyoko, tilting his tiny head in curiousity. "Um... Miss Kyoko...?" He asked softly, prompting the detective to tilt her head in acknowledgement. "Is this your house?"

"No Harry, this is a hotel. We'll be staying here until we leave for Japan in a few days." Kyoko replied. Harry nodded in understanding, but continued to look around curiously.

"M-My aunt and uncle used to go to hotels with my cousin... He always told me how fun it was and he was glad freaks like me weren't allowed to go..."

Kyoko frowned. So Vernon Dursley had his own son, did he? She shuddered to imagine how impossibly bratty that boy was. Hopefully someone set him on the right path...

"Ah, your first time in a hotel, hmm?" Taka inquired. "In that case...Allow me to tell you the rules! Rule number one: You mustn't disrupt the other patrons, so try your best to keep your volume reasonably low! Rule number two: Never run in the hallways, for someone could be harmed! Rule number-" Kyoko clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Um...Thank you, Ishimaru, but I think I'll cover that with him." Ishimaru nodded his head as Kyoko took her and off.

"Ah...Yes, of course...Well, erm...You'll still keep my words in mind, will you not?" Harry saluted adorably.

"Well, we'd best be going. There's still a few others who need to meet Harry." Kyoko said, adjusting Harry in her arms while the others nodded.

"See you around little guy!" Mondo called as the two headed off. Kyoko looked down at Harry, who was snuggling up against her chest.

"I take it you like them?" She ventured.

"Th...they're nice." Harry nodded. Kyoko mentally frowned at his stutter, but didn't blame him. So much was happening and changing around him, it was obvious he'd be nervous.

She sighed softly and rubbed Harry's back. 'Okay...So there's Maizono, Kuwata, Hagakure, Fukawa and Togami left to meet him...' She considered her next move. Sayaka and Leon would no doubt be the easiest introductions. Sayaka absolutely adored children, while Leon was all around just incredibly laid back and friendly.

Hagakure and Toko were...iffy on whether or not things would go well. Yasuhiro tended to put his foot in his mouth, while Toko's general demeanour might stress Harry out.

Togami worried her, though. He had a cold, snooty attitude that could very easily upset Harry...

Thankfully, she found Leon first who was sitting on a bench in front of a fountain, writing something in a notebook, thinking about it, then crossing it out.

"Nah, That doesn't rhyme well at all..." he muttered to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kyoko aproaching and called: "Hey, Kirigiri! What's a word that expresses something that makes someone happy that isn't 'merry'?" Kyoko looked down at the boy in her arms and smiled.

"Harry." She replied, making the musician pause and look up in confusion.

"Harry? Nah, that doesn't..." He blinked at the sight of the boy in her arms. He maintained a look of surprise for several seconds before finally speaking.

"Huh. Hey there kid. Where'd you come from?" Harry looked up at Kyoko, not sure how to answer that. Kyoko smiled and shrugged at him.

"Um...The park...?" He tried, settling on the last place he'd been. Leon had to chuckle at that, it was incredibly amusing. Kyoko was smirking mirthfully as well.

"So Kyoko, you just saw a kid at the park and thought 'I'm gonna take him'? I'm pretty sure that's illegal almost everywhere, you may want to put him back."

"S...She didn't do that!" Harry squeaked, suddenly feeling uneasy by the comment, he squirmed slightly now feeling frightened. Kyoko held him warmly to try and calm him.

"He was just joking Harry, he didn't mean that." She reassured the tiny boy.

Leon rubbed the back of his head. "Heh... Yeah, totally... Joking..." He said sheepishly, prompting Kyoko to roll her eyes in exasperation.

"You must have seen him at some point, Kuwata. He was all over the newspapers recently, don't you remember?" Leon scrunched up his face, trying to remember, before snapping his fingers.

"Oh, right! He was the kid who was...put in a coma?" He exclaimed, stunned slightly at the revelation. "...Whoa... He's out of the hospital...and now he's here?"

"Yes, and... he'll be coming home with us soon." Kyoko added, and Leon's eyes widened again in surprise.

"Wait. Really?!" He exclaimed. "That's... that's great Kirigiri!"

"Indeed it is." Kyoko nodded, patting Harry's head, making the boy coo happily.

Leon grinned and messed with the boy's hair. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet ya, sport! Name's Kuwata! Leon Kuwata! But hey, you're a native English, so you can just call me Leon!"

"Oh, um...Okay. Hi, Mr. Leon. I'm Harry." Harry greeted with a small wave. Leon smirked and put his hands in his pockets, Kyoko smiling softly at the interaction.

"So, how ya feeling? Back up and at a hundred percent?" Leon asked. Harry nodded his head and wiggled his fingers to show he was okay.

"I still feel kinda funny..." Harry admitted, but didn't know how to explain it more, so he looked down somewhat embarrassed.

"Well, you did just get out of the hospital." Kyoko reasoned. "Give it a few days and you should be feeling fine." Harry thought about what she said and decided to agree.

"Yeah, in good time you'll be out running and playing in the fields just like the other kids!" Leon agreed with a thumbs up. Harry had to smile at that.

"Thank you Mr. Leon. ...Um... Joyful is a word for happy..." He offered. Leon blinked before he remembered what he had asked Kyoko moments earlier.

"Joyful, huh? Hmm..." He looked down at his notepad and wrote it down. "Hmm... Heeeey, not half bad, kid! We got a little songwriter in the making here!" Kyoko smiled down at Harry, who looked back up at her, as if wordlessly asking if that was a good thing. Kyoko nodded and Harry gave a tiny smile. Harry felt like Miss Kyoko was telling the truth, and that helped him more than anyone present (himself included) understood. Leon wrote something down before looking back up at the two. "So... how's everyone taking the news?" He asked with a laid-back smile.

"About as well as you can hope..." Kyoko replied, rolling her eyes slightly.

"So have ya told you-know-who yet?" Kyoko nodded. "She didn't do anything to scar the little guy for life, did she?" Kyoko shook her head.

"Surprisingly, Junko was very well behaved when we went to see him. She yelled a bit, of course, but then, what can you honestly expect from her?"

Leon chuckled. "Shame she's so off the wall crazy, she's pretty hot." Harry gasped.

"Hot! Don't touch!"

"No, no no no no... This is the kind of hot you WANNA touch." Leon explained slyly. Kyoko gave him a flat look while Harry still seemed confused. "Heh, don't worry about it kid, you'll understand when you're older." Leon chuckled.

"Oh... okay." Harry replied, confusion still very clear in his voice. "Um... is Miss Kyoko hot?"

Leon grinned and flashed a thumbs up. Kyoko was flustered, turning beet red and standing rigidly in place. "K-Kuwata!" She exclaimed.

"I cannot tell a lie." Leon said in a sage manner, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. Kyoko facepalmed, then looked down at Harry.

"Harry, please, for the sake of all life on earth, don't call anyone 'hot' until you're at least thirteen, okay?" Harry was very confused. Miss Kyoko WAS very warm and cozy, but she didn't burn, so how could she be hot?

"But... you're not hot. You're just warm." Harry said, still very baffled. Leon was desperately trying to hold back riotous laughter at both Harry's words and Kyoko's expression. The detective sweat-dropped and simply decided to hug Harry, he was too innocent and sweet for his own good...

Then she shot Leon a glare that sent a chill up his spine, mouthing "We are going to have WORDS later, Kuwata." The redhead sweatdropped nervously.

"Uh... Hey, so, I kinda have somewhere to be right now, somewhere Kirigiri's not to be more specific, so um...Bye!" He rushed out of the room, very nearly knocking over Yasuhiro Hagakure in the process.

"Hey, watch it, man, you almost made me drop my crystal ball! That thing cost a pretty penny!" The wild haired man called after his classmate. Kyoko filled her eyes as she saw Yasuhiro walking towards them. Sure, he wasn't mean or cruel (or really even that smart) but she just didn't want Harry growing up around him and taking some of his tendencies, namely the fact that he seemed to constantly be used by everyone. Harry had been through that enough in his life. Looking back in front of him, the Clairvoyant stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Harry, he then looked to Kyoko, then to Harry. This repeated numerious times. Hagakure approached slowly, eyeing her newly adopted child, then lightly poked Harry on the cheek, causing him to let out an adorable squeak. "Whoa... He's real... Kirigiri, when did you have a kid?! I didn't even notice you were pregnant!" If she wasn't holding Harry, Kyoko would have facepalmed.

"Are you familiar with the concept of adoption, Hagakure?" She asked flatly.

"What? Teenagers can't adopt!"

"I'm eighteen now." Hagakure opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think things over, then closed it.

"Oh. Right." Was all he said. "This is strange, even for you Kirigiri."

"And What is THAT supposed to mean?!" Kyoko said with an accusative tone, making the fortune teller back up.

"Whoa, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just... you're always working on these cases where you seem shut off from your feelings, like you don't feel anything for anyone. So the concept of you adopting..." he was going to continue, but then he saw the look on the detectives face. "I Uh, I'm gonna shut up now." He looked at Harry. "So uh... If you don't mind me asking, what's the little guy's name?" Hagakure asked, leaning forward for a closer look.

"His name is Harry. Please don't lean in so closely, you're making him nervous." Hagakure raised his hands placatingly and stepped back several feet.

"Um... Miss Kyoko...? I think he forgot to brush his hair this morning..." Harry whispered softly into his adopted caregiver's ear, causing her to smirk.

"No. He's always like that." She quietly responded, making Harry blink in confusion before whispering:

"Really?" Hagakure watched the two whisper to one another and correctly guessed it had something to do with him. He felt like asking, but decided to let the pair have their little conversation.

Eventually, Kyoko addressed him once more. "So, Hagakure, this is Harry. I adopted him, he's my charge and I'd appreciate it if you could keep your voice down around him." Hagakure may have been extremely dim, but he would have to be completely braindead to not catch on to the stern warning undertone of Kyoko's 'request'.

"Right, duly noted..." He practically whispered. "I won't scare the kid, that much I can promise ya, just don't hurt me, okay?" Kyoko nodded, leading to a bit of an awkward silence, until Yasuhiro decided to break it. "So kid, how you enjoying being with Kyoko?" He asked, his question making Harry seem to brighten immediately.

"She's super nice!" Harry blurted out. "And... smart." Harry repeated himself, struggling to think of what else to say. Kyoko smiled at his attempt none the less, patting his tiny head lovingly.

"Thank you, Harry." She said with a grin. Harry felt content that he had succeeded and happily took her praise with a small smile. Hagakure chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, smart's definitely a given. She's one of the smartest in our class, and that's saying something! Heh... She's definitely smarter than me." There was a great opportunity for a cutting remark there, but Kyoko decided not to take it. Hagakure hadn't done anything that day...yet. "And I don't need to use my crystal ball to see that you're a perfect match for one another." He added, not noticing Kyoko roll her eyes at that last remark. Hagakure was... weird, when it came to his visions. Harry seemed confused when he saw the wild-haired boy looking at a crystal ball, but he didn't ask anything. "Ah well, I'll let you two keep at it." With that, he walked away, leaving the two in silence, enjoying each others company.

Kyoko smirked softly to herself as she walked on. She was almost finished with the introductions. Only three people left... And one of them was guranteed to be an easy introduction.

And sure enough, the person in question just so happened to be passing by at that exact moment, giving Kyoko a warm, friendly smile and a wave.

"Hi, Kirigiri! Ir's a beautiful day..." Sayaka Maizono's voice trailed off when she saw Harry. The second the pop idol laid eyes on the boy, her heart melted into a gooey mess. "OHMYGOSHHESSOADORABLEEEEEEE!" The idol exclaimed loudly suddenly snatching Harry up and putting him into a warm, but still somewhat crushing hug. Kyoko blinked for a moment before allowing a wary smile to form in her face. This was about what she had expected. "Hi there little baby! Aw, aren't you the most precious, adorable little thing anyone has ever seen?" She cooed, covering Harry's bewildered face with kisses before nuzzling the top of his head with her cheek.

"Sayaka, you're terrifying him." Kyoko said matter of factly, Sayaka seemed to realize this and gasped.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, loosening her hold on Harry and now rocking him in her arms. "Please don't be scared, I just think you're too cute!" Harry was pretty much locked up at this point, stiff as a board and staring forward with wide eyes, looking borderline shellshocked by the idol's affection. It was almost funny...

Kyoko sighed softly and extended her arms. "Maizono, can I have him back, please?" She asked. Sayaka gave her a sheepish grin and handed the boy back to the detective.

"Sorry, Kirigiri... I just can't help it sometimes... Kids are just...so precious..." She smiled fondly at the memories of meeting all her young fans. Harry seemed to try and bury himself into Kyoko's embrace, shaking aggressively as the detective began rubbing his back.

"Hey, it's okay sweetie, Maizono just really likes kids, she didn't intend to scare you." Slowly but surely Harry's shaking ceased, he looked up at Kyoko, then back to the other woman, his emerald eyes still somewhat fearful, but also curious.

Then his eyes widened in recognition as he looked at the smiling idol. "Wait, I think I know you... You... You're a singer, right...? I saw you on TV..."

Sayaka's face lit up at that, and she nodded her head. "Yep, that's me! Sayaka Maizono!" She looked at Harry again, before her expression became more thoughtful. "You look familiar too..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened in recognition, and her demeanor shifted to gloom.

"I take it you read the paper as well?" Sayaka nodded slowly, then approached the pair and gently cupped Harry's cheek, rubbing a circle with her thumb in what she hoped was a soothing manner.

Harry was a little surprised by the gesture, but it felt nice. He leaned in somewhat and let out a cute coo as he let the singer rub his cheek. Sayaka's smile returned full force as she gave another, albeit quieter, "Awww! He's so precious!" The singer cooed, giving Harry's cheek a gentle pinch.

"He is, isn't he?" Kyoko nodded with a smile.

The three remained in a comfortable silence before Sayaka stood straight once more, patting Harry's head affectionately. "Sorry for scaring you, sweetie." She apologized with a bow.

"It...It's okay, Miss Sayaka... You were just happy... That's good... You were scary for a few seconds, but now I know you're really nice."

Sayaka beamed at the boy's words. "Aww... I really want one of my own..." She cooed. She had been meaning to ask her manager if an idol could be a mother...

"I think you'd be a wonderful mother." Kyoko replied with a small smile. "You absolutely have the heart for it." Running her fingers through Harry's hair she mumbled under her breath: "And you'd probably be much better then me..." While Harry was enjoying the soothing touch, Sayaka frowned, having heard what the detective muttered. She felt the need to say something, but at the same time, her heart melted once again when she saw Harry's happy face as Kyoko interacted with him.

She flashed Kyoko a warm, beaming smile. "Y'know something, Kyoko? I think you're going to do just fine as a mother." She said with a wink.

Kyoko's face turned red as she smiled softly. "...Thank you, Sayaka... Really... That means a lot coming from you of all people..." She admitted softly.

"Aww, you don't need me to tell you that. Just take a good look at Harry. He loves you, and isn't that all that really matters in the end?"

"I guess it is." Kyoko nodded, looking down at the happy boy in her arms. He looked so sweet and innocent, it was a crime (literally) what he had endured. Sayaka gave Harry one last quick kiss on the cheek before waving as she headed off to walk around the town some more. Kyoko knew there were still a few more students to meet, but in this moment, she was happy just holding Harry, listening to his soft giggles as she played with his hair.

Besides, the final two were likely to be the most troublesome introductions this side of Junko, and she dreaded them immensely, with every fiber of her being.

Byakuya Togami, the arrogant affluent prodigy. His cold, dismissive attitude grated on most everyone, and he was sure to hurt Harry's feelings.

And the writer, Toko Fukawa. Her vicious self depreation was guranteed to cause problems, but what really concerned the young Kirigiri was her alter ego...

Kyoko gave a slight sigh, she just hoped that she'd be able to help Harry look past their... eccentricities and see the good in them. If there was any.

"Miss Kyoko?" Harry suddenly spoke up, looking up with his large emerald eyes. "Are..are you okay? You seem sad."

Kyoko looked down at Harry and messed with his hair gently. "Thank you for your concern, dear. You're sweet. But I'm not sad. Just...slightly worried."

"W-Worried? Did I do it?! I'm sorry, I didn't-" Kyoko silenced him by gently putting her index finger to his lips and smiling softly in encouragement.

"No, Harry, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just hoping the last of the introductions don't end up making YOU sad." She explained, deciding to be upfront with him.

"Oh. Are they... are they like my family?" Harry timidly asked, Kyoko's heart aching when she saw the fear in his eyes.

"No. NOTHING like them." She said reassuringly. "It just they can be a little... mean." When she noticed Harry listening intently but still confused, she decided to continue as timidly as she could. "Well, one of them has another side to her, she's not very happy normally, and well, her other side is... worse."

"Really...? What... What does her other side do...?" Harry asked. Kyoko sighed softly. Genocider Sho was highly dangerous, yet her father decided 'serial killer' was worthy of an ultimate talent... She felt sorry for Toko, being stuck with such a dangerous personality...

"She... She hurts people... Really, really badly... She makes them...close their eyes. And when she does that, they... they never wake up again..."

"Oh..." Harry looked down. "So...Like my mommy and daddy then...?" He asked in a soft, barely audible voice. Kyoko felt cold as she held Harry, she didn't know what to say, so she settled for kissing Harry lovingly on his forehead.

"I'm sorry sweetie." She cooed. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Y..you didn't..." Harry mumbled before sniffing slightly. Kyoko adjusted him and looked into his eyes.

"If you need to cry, go ahead." she said. Harry sniffled softly, and Kyoko tightened her hold on him. "We'll go to my room, okay? It's more private there." She felt Harry nod into her chest and smiled sadly.

Making her way to her bedroom, she made sure not to alert anyone to her presence. This was Harry's private moment, and no one else would get involved.

When she reached her room, she was thankful that Celeste wasn't there. Making her way to her bed, she sat down and hugged the boy tight. "Okay... No one's watching... Go on... Let it out..." Harry sniffled, then broke down in tears, letting everything out, the abuse, his fear of being left alone, his thankfulness for Kyoko's kindness, and the pain of having lost his parents, not getting to know them.

Kyoko remained silent, simply rubbing his back and trying to be a comforting presence to him as he cried more than he ever had before. Kyoko wanted to hold him close, tell him everything was going to be alright, but she knew right now, he needed to cry. He pressed himself tightly against her, or at least as tightly as he could with his weak physicality, and she felt his tears staining her shirt.

"There there... It's all right... I've got you... I'm right here..." Kyoko whispered softly in his ear, deciding some form of verbal comfort was warranted.

It was truly gutwrenching feeling him shaking like a little leaf in her arms... It really brought into perspective how frail and delicate he was... After what seemed like an eternity, Harry looked up at Kyoko with watery, wide eyes and finally whimpered:

"What did I do wrong? Wh-wh-Why did my uncle hate me? Why did mommy and daddy have to die?"

Kyoko felt tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to to shatter her cold exterior as she listened to the tiny boy in her arms. But she also noticed something, Harry seemed very safe around her.

She pressed her forehead against his and looked him dead in the eyes. "Nothing, Harry... Absolutely nothing. Sometimes, things just...happen. You had some bad luck... That's all..."

"But why? Why'd I get the bad luck? It's... It's not fun to have bad luck... If my mommy and daddy were there, I could have been happy..."

"Well, Harry... Everything happens for a reason, and there's always a silver lining to any bad situation..." Kyoko reassured him gently before kissing his cheek.

"How?" Harry whimpered, wiping some tears from his eyes.

"Well, I don't think we would've ever met had things not happened the way they did. Kyoko softly explained, she felt... wrong, trying to justify all this to Harry, but at the same time, she wanted him to know that she was here, and she cared for sniffed and was wrapped up tighter by Kyoko's arms. She rested her cheek atop his head gently, offering all the comfort she could to the small boy. He snuggled in closer and rested his tiny head against her tummy. If his uncle hadn't hurt him... He never would have met Miss Kyoko...? So...Was that the silver lining...? He got hurt, but eventually he found someone to take care of him... Miss Kyoko was amazing...

"M-Miss Kyoko...?" Harry said softly, prompting the detective to look at him. "I'm...I'm glad things happened that way... I'm glad we met..." Kyoko replied with another kiss on the forehead.

"I'm very happy we met too my sweet." She said quietly, before beginning to rock him back and forth in her arms, humming a gentle, soothing tune to try and calm him as much as possible. Harry listened intently, happily enjoying the song, before his eyelids got heavy, and soon he had fallen asleep. Kyoko smiled tenderly at the little boy in her arms. At this moment, the icy shell had melted away completely. She wasn't a cold, calculating detective... She was a doting, loving mother. She gently tucked Harry into her bed, moving the blankets up to his tiny chin and setting his fox plush in his little arms, smiling as he hugged it tightly. Kyoko leaned forward and pressed his lips against his forehead. When she pulled away, she spent a few more minutes caressing his face. Then, the sleeping boy mumbled something.

"Mama..." Kyoko froze, having a barely audible gasp as her gloves hand jumped up to her mouth as her eyes widened.

"M..mama?" Kyoko murmured, not sure of how to feel or even how to react. Her mind was running in a million different directions, some told her to embrace it, some told her to ignore it, and some played the conversation they had a few days ago, when she had told Harry she wasn't his mother...

But so much had changed since then, she got to know the little guy, and she fell in love with him. She looked at the sleeping boy and gently moved a stray lock of hair out of his eyes before gently stroking his tiny cheek. "Oh, Harry..." This boy was just a little gift... Any woman would be lucky to have him as their child... Kyoko just worried that she wouldn't be good enough... Her work was definitely going to keep her very busy... A detective's job was never done, after all... She was worried... What if she ended up being unintentionally neglectful, like her father? Kyoto took a deep breath to calm herself, shaking her head. When she opened her eyes they were filled with determination and confidence. "No." She mentally told herself. She wouldn't be like that. For Harry's sake, she couldn't be. She would do everything in her power to keep her char- no. Her son, safe and happy. She sighed softly and grabbed Harry's tiny hand in her own gloved one, squeezing gently, and smiling when she felt him squeeze back.

"It's gonna be okay, Harry..." Kyoko said softly before kissing the boy's forehead. "Mama's here, and she's here to stay..."

"My, my, how precious." Kyoko stiffened and turned around with a small blush to find Celeste. She was taken aback when she saw Celeste was not smirking, but rather sincerely smiling.

"He... he called me 'Mama.' I feel... so happy." Kyoko whispered, tears of joy forming in her eyes. Celeste simply walked forward and hugged her friend.

"You'll be a wonderful mother." She said kindly, Celeste's usual snarky, mischievous side gone, genuine emotion in her voice. "I can't think of anyone who would be better to take care of this precious child than you."

Kyoko turned to Celeste with a surprised expression, to which the gothic gambler smiled. "I know you think otherwise, Kirigiri, but when I look into your eyes... I just know."

Kyoko knew Celeste told the truth... The gambler always instinctively knew these things... She had a knack for reading people like an open book and discovering things about them that not even they themselves knew.

Hearing Celeste's confidence in her gave Kyoko confidence as well. A tiny yawn was heard, and the women turned and saw Harry turn slightly in his sleep, holding his fox plus his closer and began to suck his thumb. The girls found it adorable. Kyoko rubbed his head gently with a warm smile. "I feel very blessed to have him in my life..." She said softly, internally cooing over his small smile.

"Yes, any woman would readily agree with you there." Celeste replied with a nod. "He truly is the ideal child... Perhaps one day, I might find my own little Harry." Kyoko was a bit surprised by her friends statement.

"I never pictured you as someone who wanted to be a mother." She replied.

"Well, the truth is, you found an absolute angel." Celeste replied. "He's so tiny and sweet, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want a child like him."

Kyoko smiled at that and returned her attention to the small boy. "Hmm... Yes, it is quite intoxicating, isn't it?" She squeezed the boy's hand gently.

"So, is it fair to assume that I am his honourary aunt?" Asked Celeste. Kyoko noticed an uncharacteristic amount of hope in the goth's voice.

"...Yes, I would say so." The purplette replied with a small smile and a nod. Celeste looked as giddy as she could without losing her calm facade. It was odd to see the gambler like this, it seemed more... human. "I think it would suit you more if you presented yourself like this more frequently." Kyoko remarked, earning a scoff and a roll of her red eyes.

"Right, well. If I did that, how would I go about my profession?" She asked rhetorically.

"Well, that would be my main concern with you being a mother." Kyoko replied with a sly smirk.

Celeste responded by crossing her arms with a huff. "Kirigiri, I'll have you know I'm far from reckless with what I put on the line." She replied.

"Yes, but it's still not the best influence for a child." Kyoko replied with a shrug. Celeste whacked her with a pillow in an only slightly serious manner.

"Oh hush." She looked over at Harry and smiled. "I will readily admit you're far more qualified than I." The gambler conceded softly. Kyoto just shook her head and looked back to the still sleeping boy, thankful that their conversation hadn't stirred him from him much needed sleep. "So what do you plan to do now?" Celeste finally asked after a minute of silence.

"Well, i think I'll continue my book, and if my son has nightmares, I'll be there to comfort him." To affirm this point, Kyoko carefully climbed into bed next to Harry, grabbing her book off the nightstand and cracking it open to her latest page. She had to smile when she felt the tiny bundle of joy next to her cuddling in closer with a soft coo. She gave his tiny head a gentle rub before focusing on her reading. Celeste smiled at the sight. Adorable as it was, she decided not to involve herself in such a tender moment, and so she went to fix herself some tea.

As Kyoko read her book, every now and then she'd look down at the harmless bundle that was now snuggled by her side, dreaming of who knew what. But form the way he seemed to almost smile in his sleep, Kyoko knew it was probably a good dream. The detective was MORE than okay with that. After all he had been through, she didn't want to think about the nightmares he must have some nights, so having a happy dream was wonderful for both Harry and herself. This was a truly blissful moment... And soon enough, Kyoko found herself beginning to feel a bit drowsy as well, putting a gloved hand to her mouth and yawning softly.

"Hmm... Seems your sleepiness is contagious." She said, giving her little boy a light smirk before setting her book on her nightstand, crawling under the covers with Harry and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. The two quickly drifted into a light, and happy, sleep. Kyoko had one last thought as she drifted off:

"I'm a mother... who would've guessed?"

No one, (Kyoko included) would've guessed that detective would adopt a child, especially so quickly after meeting her future son, but none of that mattered now. She and Harry were family, and she was sure she'd do everything she could to help little Harry overcome his abuse.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he yawned softly before looking around, wondering where he was. Then memories came flooding back... Harry then noticed something... He felt...warm... and safe... Looking over at Kyoko, the small boy's eyes widened when he saw that she was holding was...So nice... He felt safe and warm and so comfy... Closing his eyes, he snuggled in closer to the detective, enjoying the warmth she exuded, as well as her soothing lavender scent. Kyoko felt something in her sleep, and for reasons she couldn't comprehend, she felt her arms wrap about whatever was next to her. After a few more moments, Kyoko's eyes slowly opened and she looked about, then looked down as a wide smile formed as she saw Harry snuggled up to her. Casting a glance outside, she saw it must've been a few hours.

"Harry? You awake sweetie?" She asked quietly, looking at the tiny bundle.

"Hi Miss Koko..." She heard Harry mumble, as he squirmed about and looked up at the detective.

She sat up in her bed, holding Harry in her arms and hugging him close to her bosom as she yawned softly. "Hmm... I don't usually take naps..." She mused.

"Me either..." Harry mumbled into her chest. Kyoko quietly rubbed his back, knowing the reason for that was a cruel matter of 'not being allowed' to take a nap.

She kissed the top of his head and climbed out of bed. "Well, I'd say it's definitely time to wake up..." She mumbled, carrying Harry as she made her way to the door.

She paused and adjusted Harry in her arms and smiled down at him. Walking into the hall, she thankfully only saw Makoto, seeming lost.

"Oh, hey Kirigiri!" The boy said, sounding relieved. "I Uh... I kinda forgot where the elevator was... and there's so many rooms..."

Kyoko smirked and shook her head in bemusement. "The elevator is two halls down and to the left." She replied. Makoto grinned at her.

"Great. Apparently Fukawa's bugging Togami again, and he wants me to bring him this spray bottle to chase her off." Makoto held up the item in question and Kyoko's smirk widened in amusement.

"That works out quite nicely, actually. Those two are the only ones that haven't met Harry yet. I think I'll join you and get it over and done with."

"Heh, okay then." Makoto smirked, then frowned somewhat when he realized what this meant. "I just hope things don't end up... y'know..."

"Yes, I do." Kyoko frowned. "But I believe Harry will be okay if I'm with him when he meets them."

Harry looked up confused, but didn't say anything. If Miss Kyoko said he'd be okay, then he believed her, she hadn't hurt him yet, and he didn't believe she would.

The trio made their way to the elevator, Kyoko fighting back the worried feeling in her gut. Either things would go smoothly and her worries would be for nothing...

Or she would be leaving with Harry in tears, something she very much did not want to happen. Honestly, if it did happen, she just might punch Byakuya right in the face.

As it turned out... her worries were all for naught.

Fukawa was sitting quietly in a corner, scribbling away in a journal, thankfully in her calm, very timid form. Byakuya was looking at his phone and not paying anyone any mind, but he did seem annoyed. Kyoko approached Fukawa slowly, nervous to how this was going to go down.

"Konechiwa." Harry said in a tiny voice before Kyoko could speak. Fukawa gave a startled 'Eep!' And hug her face behind her journal. Much like had did with his sheets when he first met Kyoko.

Byakuya looked up from his book slightly, eyebrow raised. 'Hmm? A child? How peculiar...' He thought to himself before sitting silent to see what happened.

Toko looked at the boy in front of her with wide eyes before looking back and forth between him and Kyoko, looking like a kitten cornered by a pitbull. "Uuuuuuhhhhh..."

Kyoko decided to break the rather awkward silence and introduce Harry to the writer. "Fukawa, meet Harry... I've adopted him."

"Oh. Um. Well then..." The writer mumbled, not sure how to react. "He's cute..."

"Thank you miss Fukiwawa." Harry replied quietly, trying (and failing) to pronounce her name. The attempt did earn a small smile from the writer.

"Daw, aren't you precious?" She said, a bit more life in her voice now.

Kyoko was surprised. Toko had a soft side for children? What an unusual turn of events this was. She had been so ready to scold the writer...

Then she remembered Genocide Jack's preferred victims were cute boys, and her eyes widened. Would Harry qualify as a viable victim for the hidden killer?!

Toko seemed to catch on and looked offended. "I would never!"

Harry looked confused as he looked form Kyoko to Toko, the writer seemed rather upset by something, and seemed close to tears as she tired to hold them back. Harry didn't understand why she was so upset, and he reached out to her as if trying to offer her a hug.

"I..I'm sorry Toko. I just..." Kyoko tried to say, realizing that while her fears were somewhat justified, she may have gone about this the wrong way. She noticed Harry reaching out, trying to offer a comforting hug, and she slowly set the tiny boy in the writers lap. Nervous, but also trusting her.

Fukawa squeaked at the sudden weight in her lap, then looked down at Harry, who looked up at her rather shyly. "Um... Hi..." He said softly.

Toko's face turned slightly red. He really was an adorable little boy, and she didn't really know how to respond to the situation. Then, she squeaked again when his tiny arms wrapped around him.

"K-K-Kirigiri, what is happening...? Why is he hugging me?" The writer questioned her fellow purplette nervously. Kyoko chuckled at her reaction.

"I think he believes you need comforting." Kyoko replied with a slight smirk. Fukawa blinked then looked down at the tiny boy still trying to hug her. After a few moments, she slowly wrapped her arms around his tiny frame, awkwardly returning the hug. Kyoko however, found it adorable. Harry seemed so genuine in his hug, and Toko seemed so bewildered yet so happy at the same time.

She looked quite... content holding Harry in her arms. She had never seen the pigtailed girl look so relaxed before... It warmed her heart far more than she thought it would.

"Well, well, you've found a way to pacify her irritating self deprecation tendencies... As well as a way to take her attention off of me." Kyoko turned to face Byakuya.

The affluent prodigy was watching the scene before him with an unreadable expression on his face. Whether he was intrigued or bored, Kyoko didn't know.

"Thank you for that." She said flatly. Thankfully neither Harry or Toko seemed to hear, as they were still hugging one another the writer seeming to warm up to the embrace and now returning it with a shy smile on her face.

"What? I'm just being honest." Byakuya shrugged. "Besides, I never expected YOU to adopt a child Kirigiri."

Kyoko stared at him impassively, showing no signs of being offended by his remark. "I suppose I'd be offended if I wasn't completely in agreement with you."

Byakuya frowned. "You mean to tell me that adopting him was a spur of the moment decision? Those are extremely dangerous, Kirigiri."

"This was not a dangerous decision, Togami. I know for a fact that I did the right thing, and you can't convince me otherwise.."

"But are you sure that this wasn't just a case of sympathy due to your line of work? Speaking of which, you've never really been one to show much emotion, so how can you raise a child if you show nothing but a cold aura?"

Kyoko was getting somewhat angry now, but she also knew he sort of had a point. Her work required her to be somewhat disconnected from her feelings, but Harry... he was different. This wasn't just because of work, this was because she loved him.

She narrowed her eyes sternly at Byakuya, causing the Affluent Prodigy to quirk a brow in intrigue. This was becoming quite interesring indeed...

"Togami... Are the words maternal instincts familiar to you? ...Every woman has them, whether they realize it or not... And when they kick in... A woman just knows."

Byakuya smirked in response. "So the icy shell has been dissolved by a small child of all things. How very amusing." Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"Keep this up and I'll make Toko change to her other self and come after you." Kyoko growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. The warning seemed to work as Byakuya noticeably paled, leaning back to try and stay away from the detective.

"Hmph." He let out a small huff. "Well, either way, would you mind taking her out of this room? She's quite a bit more bold these days and it is most annoying."

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "You have no interest in introducing yourself to Harry?" She asked flatly. Byakuya frowned slightly in confusion.

"And why, might I ask, do you have interest in me meeting the boy? You know very well I'm no natural with children." He replied to her inquiry.

"Hm. On that we can agree." Kyoko replied stiffly. "But still, he's met everyone else. And as much as I'd prefer to skip you-"

"Go ahead, I won't feel any worse." The rich boy cut in, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I think Toko's taken a liking to him."

Kyoko whirled around in fear, not sure what was meant by that, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the writer had rested her chin on top of Harry's head, and the pair were looking at her journal, Fukawa reading some of her writing to the tiny boy.

Harry appeared to be enthralled by the story the writer was telling, and Kyoko had to smile at the sight. "Well, come on over then, Togami."

Byakuya frowned, then sighed as he slowly rose to his feet, approaching the group with an impassive look on his face. He gave Harry a critical look.

"Hmm... It seems he hasn't seen the best of days just yet, does it not?" The heir commented on the boy's rather unimpressive physical appearance.

Harry whimpered and tried to hide, somewhat burying his face into Toko's chest, shocking the writer, while Kyoko donned a saddened expression.

"No. He hasn't." She shook her head sadly. "His... his own family is to blame for that."

That last remark made Byakuya freeze before he could speak, his eyes widened and his mouth hung open as he looked to Kyoko, genuine shock clear on his face.

"His... FAMILY did that to him?" He finally got out.

"The poor baby!" Toko exclaimed, trying her best to hug Harry protectively.

Byakuya briefly looked annoyed by Toko's words, before he let out a sigh and cleaned his glasses. "Hrmph... Well... His condition is certainly abysmal..."

"I'd consider that an understatement." Kyoko replied with a roll of her eyes. Byakuya gave her the evil eye, and she gave it right backto him.

"However..." He looked at Harry. "Upbringings like his turn out one of two ways. Either they grow to despise the world and all that inhabit it... Or they learn from it, and become stronger, better people. And I believe it's clear what category the boy falls into."

Harry tilted his head, thinking about what the new boy said. Was this similar to the 'Silver Lining' that Miss Kyoko had talked about? He seemed to go deep into thought (as deep as a small child could) before deciding that was at least similar, so he looked up and nodded at Byakuya, which seemed to both surprise and amuse the boy.

"Well, he certainly seems to agree with me." He smirked.

"Silver... linens?" Harry finally spoke, trying to repeat what he had been told.

Byakuya blinked twice before smirking at the boy. "While I do very much enjoy silver linens, I believe the term you're looking for is silver LINING."

"Ooooh. That makes more sense..." Harry replied with a nod, secretly wondering the difference between the two. Kyoko rubbed his head gently.

"Well, I have to say... This meeting went far better than I anticipated." She admitted. "Thank you both for being kind to him. Lord knows he needed it."

Byakuya nodded, his face still it's usual self, but Kyoko could tell his nod was genuine. Toko gave a tiny smile and patted the boy's head, trying to show she cared as well. The writer handed the tiny boy back to Kyoko, and harry was noticeably more comfortable in familiar arms. Kyoko gave him a small smile before leaving the room.

"Um...Um...B-Bye!" Toko called out after them. Harry gave a small wave in response and Toko let out a soft squee of delight in response.

"Why don't you follow after them? ...And stop bothering ME?" Byakuya questioned, to which Toko responded with a huge, rather creepy smile.

"Oh, as much as I love Harry... I will always love YOU the most, my-EEP!" By that point, Byakuya had smacked her upside the head with a newspaper.

Kyoko shook her head with a slight chuckle as she left adjusted Harry in her arms and smiled down at him.

"So... that's everyone." Kyoko stated.

"Miss Toko was nice. But... she seemed scared of something. Is she okay?" Harry asked innocently.

Kyoko kissed his head and rubbed his back. "Yes, dear, Miss Toko's just fine. She's just... very shy and has trouble with her emotions... She doesn't like herself very much."

Harry was confused. "She...She doesn't like herself? But why not? That doesn't make any sense. She's nice, and she makes really good stories."

Kyoko thought it over, trying to determine the best way to describe Toko's 'Quirk' without scaring him away from her permanently. However, she couldn't think of a truthful reason that someone as tiny as Harry could comprehend without the aforementioned terror.

"I'll tell you when your older." The detective replied. "But I can tell you now she really appreciated your kindness."

Harry seemed satisfied with that, smiling softly and cuddling in closer to her. Kyoko rubbed the back of his head and smiled softly. Well... Introductions were complete...

Now perhaps would be a good time to teach Harry some Japanese. During a nice breakfast of course... Carrying the boy downstairs, she got them breakfast and sat them down.

"Well, Harry, you remembered how to say hello in my language. I'm very impressed." Harry perked right up at the praise. "Now let's see what else you remember..."

As she led Harry through the exercise, Kyoko was very impressed with how much Harry (mostly) remembered. Sure, he had a hard time pronouncing most of the words, but even the fact that he remembered at least the base of them was more than she had expected. It made her proud that Harry was learning so fast. They got so engrained in practice they they forgot about their food until Harry's stomach growled.

He blushed slightly and Kyoko let out a soft chuckle. "All right, that will be enough for now, Harry. Excellent job. You remembered your Japanese very well." She praised.

Harry beamed with pride, much to Kyoko's liking. The boy needed a boost in his self esteem. "Thank you, Miss Kyoko..." He said softly.

"Oh? You pronounced my name right." Kyoko said with a smirk, ruffling his hair. "You really are catching on, aren't you?" Harry was feeling pretty good about himself. ...Until his tummy growled insistently.

Kyoko wrapped one arm around Harry, the other one picked up a forkful of food and held it up to his mouth. Harry didn't resist and opened his mouth to be fed. He chewed the egg and his face seemed to brighten. Kyoko smiled and went to get some more for him, until...

"Awww! That so cuteee!"

Kyoko quickly prayed it was Sayaka, and not who she thought it was, until Junko sat down across from the pair with a huge grin on her face.

Kyoko looked at the blonde, maintaining her stoic demeanour quite well all things considered. "Hello, Junko. I can't help but notice you have an egg on your head, a swollen ear and a jar stuck on your hand."

Junko laughed uproariously. "Yep, that was one heck of a wakeup call!" She smashed the jar against the table, breaking it in two and freeing her hand. "There we go, that's off now!"

"You're bleeding."

"Yep! I sure am! Feels great!"

Harry stared in horror at what just happened, to him, blood was always associated with pain. Unlike anyone his age (or most older) blood in and of itself didn't frighten him, he had seen so much of his own he was sadly used to it. But he liked Miss Junko, and he knew blood usually meant pain. He didn't want any of Miss Kyoko's friends to be hurting...

"B..but it hurt!" Harry stammered eyes wide. Junko looked down at him and her smile widened.

"Aww, That so sweet of you to care sweetie pie!" The crazy blonde cooed. "But to me... pain isn't really... painful."

Harry was now completely confused, and he looked up to Kyoko, as if asking for an answer. The detective decided to change topics.

"So... about the egg..."

"It's on my head." Junko replied with a grin, taking a seat and resting her feet on the table. Kyoko's eye twitched slightly, as she knew that was the only response she was getting.

"I see. ...Honestly, the things you get up to in your spare time confuse and baffle every one of us." Junko just giggled in response before leaning forward, resting her chin on her hands.

"So you're teaching your little baby how to speak Japanese? He is KILLIN' it! You must be a pretty good teacher, huh? Either that or he's a really good student!"

"Miss Kyoko's a good teacher." Harry almost immediately answered, still not fully able to beleive he was a good student... Kyoko notes the tone of slight sadness in his voice and hugged him reassuringly.

"Hey, your a wonderful stundent. You're learning faster than most of the students at my school!" Kyoko said with a chuckle. "Some of them are still struggling to speak English, so the fact that you've picked what what you have is outstanding."

Harry felt a warmth at the compliments. For so long he had been beaten and pushed down. But maybe Miss Kyoko was right. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as he had been forced to beleive.

Junko leaned forward. "All right, let's hear you say THIS in Japanese... Supercallifragilisticexpiallidocious!" Kyoko looked at her like she was insane.

"Junko, he does not know how to say that in Japanese." She said flatly. Junko huffed and crossed her arms beneath her bust with a pout.

"You gotta be kidding me, Kirigiri! C'mon, you can't teach him how to speak our language and leave out such an important word! I mean, sure, the sound of it is something quite atrocious, but that doesn't mean you can just pretend it doesn't have a huge part in our culture!"

Kyoko's palm was now very acquainted with her face.

"Supercalifflowerexpalido?" Harry tried to repeat the word, his youngest getting very twisted at the overly long word. Junko ruffles his hair playfully and laughed.

"Ah well, you'll get it eventually!" She grinned, her ever present wide smile not showing any signs of stopping. And Harry smiled in return. "There we go! What a adorable smile!"

Kyoko rolled her eyes, an exasperated smile forming on her face. "You really are too much, you know that, right Junko?" The fashionista flashed a peace sign.

"Thanks, Giri! I try!" She looked down at her watch. "Ooh, would ya look at that? It's time for me to go and trick some guy into going into the ladies' room! I can't skip that again! See ya guys later!"

Kyoko felt a sweatdrop form on the back of her head as Junko rushed off. "...I really don't understand why she does the things she does."

"She's nice though." Harry added innocently. Kyoko raised a brow, looking down at Harry, then smiled with a slight shrug.

"Well, if you think so." She said. "Now c'mon, our food's getting cold."

Harry nodded and looked back to his food, picking up the us tinsels and trying to pick up some more of his breakfast. Kyoko smiled as she saw him tentatively take a few bites on his own, she turned to her food and began eating.

When their food was gone, Kyoko sighed and thought about how eventful and life changing this entire field trip had been... In just a few days, she had become... a mother...

Yes, no matter how hard she tried to tell herself otherwise, it was plain to see that she was now this little boy's mother... She remembered what he had said last night as he slept...

Truth be told, she wouldn't mind hearing it again.

"Harry, I have a question for you..." Kyoko began, rubbing his back, making the tiny boy look up at her. "What do you think of me?"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he thought for a moment before answering honestly.

"Your really smart... and pretty." He began. "And... your the nicest person I've ever met, you...you don't hate me... and your like a ma-" He immediately stopped himself, looking away ashamed.

Kyoko cupped his chin in her hand and tilted his head up to look into her eyes, offering him an encouraging smile. "It's all right, dear. Please go on with that."

Harry hesitated for a few seconds, trying to urge himself to say it, before finally, he managed to find his voice. "You're... You're like a mama, Miss Kyoko..."

Kyoko felt the smile forming and nuzzled the top of his head gently. "Well, Harry... If that's what you want to call me... then you have my full permission. I've already adopted you, and our relationship is quite strong..."

Harry's eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost. Surprisingly though, he didn't seem like he was going to cry, he was just very, very confused and shocked.

"Y..you mean it?" He finally stammered our, and Kyoko smiled down at him.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have said so if I didn't."

Harry remained silent, millions of thoughts running around that he couldn't understand. But there was one thought that he did understand. And it made him happier than he ever had been before.

He had a mama.

Leaning into her chest and trying to hug her, he let out a happy "Mama."

Kyoko smiled softly and rubbed the boy's back, not noticing her tears until they began to cloud her vision. Wiping her eyes and regaining her composure, she leaned down and kissed the boy's head.

"Yes, dear... Mama." She said softly. Wordlessly, she went back to their bedroom. She wanted to spend some time alone with her son...

When they returned, Kyoko seated herself on her bed with Harry comfortably on her lap. The two looked out over the city from their hotel room.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kyoko asked, stroaking Harry's hair. She had to admit while she enjoyed the sometimes overly bright neon lights of Japan's cities at night, it couldn't be denied that there was a tranquil beauty to England's midday view

Harry simply nodded his little head in response, content to just sit silently in his newly adopted mother's lap. Kyoko kissed his head and stared forward with a small smile,

So that was it... That was the official final step to her new role as Harry's mother... She had allowed him to call her mama... There really was no turning back now.

Not that she had any desire to do so. This feeling of being needed, of being the most important figure in this little boy's life, was intoxicating.

Kyoko wasn't sure how much time passed, but the pair were content where they were. Harry squirmed every now and then to change positions or to get comfortable and Kirigiri would hug or kiss him soothingly, but they were together, and that was more than anything either one had expected.

"That's precious." they heard a voice say, and Kyoko turned around and smirked slightly at Celeste, who was watching them with a wide grin.

"How long were you there?" The Detective asked.

"Long enough." The gambler replied.

"Mama?" Harry asked, peaking around Kyoko's figure, hs worry quickly melted away though when he saw who it was. "Oh, h..hello Miss Celeste."

Celestia waved with a closed eyed smile. "Greetings to you aa well, dearie. And how are we today, hmm?" Harry responded with a large smile.

"Miss Kyoko isn't Miss Kyoko anymore." Celeste tilted her head at that. "Now Miss Kyoko is mama... She said I could call her that. And I'm happy."

Celeste walked over, sitting next to her friend, and took one of Harry's tiny hands in her own.

"That's WONDERFUL darling." She said with a huge grin, before leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead. This surprised harry but also made him blush, and try to hide it in Kyoko's shirt. Both girls found it adorable. "She's the perfect fit for you my little cutie, she'll take good care of you, and provide you with all the love a mother can."

Harry nodded his head in response, a tiny smile forming on his face. "I...I know she will..." He said softly, giving Kyoko a hug. "She already has been..."

Kyoko's heart melted as she leaned down and kissed his head. "I'm glad you think so, Harry... I really do hope I can be the mother you deserve."

"You're more than I deserve..." Harry mumbled softly. "You're the best mama ever."

Kyoko felt happy tears welling up in her eyes again, Harry seemed to notice them to, and gave a tiny gasp.

"I..I..i didn't mean to make you cry mama!" He said, fear suddenly filling his voice. "Please don't be mad!"

"I'm not Harry, these are happy tears." Kyoko snuffed, wiping the tears away and hugging her son closer.

"You're crying because...you're happy...?" Harry asked softly, prompting Kyoko to nod her head in affirmation. "Oh... Um... If that's true, then... Mama...? Is it okay if I do the happy cry too?"

Kyoko chuckled and nuzzled the top of his head. "You don't need my permission, dear... If you want to cry, then don't bottle it up... Let it out..."

"Th-Thank you... Ma...ma..." He buried his face into the detective's chest and let out a soft sob. Celeste saw she had no place in the scenario and opted to leave them be.

Mother and son sat comfortably for some time, Harry had drifted off to sleep, and Kyoko didn't want to move and accidentally wake him. She simple settled for stroaking his cheek with a gloved hand.

Her gloves... she frowned as she realized that she hadn't actually let Harry feel her hands yet. As of there was some barrier between them until hat happened.

She studied her gloves for a few moments before looking back at the sleeping boy. No... HER sleeping boy... He was her son... Her baby... There shouldn't be a barrier like that between them...

Slowly, she pulled off one of her gloves, frowning softly at the scarred appendave that was her hand. After removing the other, she resolved herself to her decision.

She would let him know as soon as he awoke.

She was nervous though. How would Harry react to her scars? Would he be frightened? Disgusted? Kyoko didn't know. After a few minutes of feeling herself being mentally dragged down, something occurred to her. She had helped Harry overcome her scars, maybe... maybe she'd help her overcome her own. She wasn't sure, but seeing her sleeping sons face, she didn't much care.

She gave him a kiss and smiled softly, deciding to put her trust in her son's good nature. The little boy was an absolute sweetheart... He wasn't likely to think any different of her for her hands.

She continued to look out at the city for another hour at least, patiently waiting for Harry to wake up. He needed his sleep that he was so deprived of...

Then, she felt him stir.

"Mmm... Mama?" He said sleepily as his eyes opened. When his emerald eyes finally adjusted to the waking world, he smiled up at the detective when he realized where he was and more importantly, who he was with.

"Hello my sweet." Kyoko replied with a closed-eyed smile. "You seemed to have a good nap."

"I..I didn't meant to sleep for so lon-" Harry began but remembered that Miss Kirigiri wasn't like his aunt and uncle, so he nuzzled closer to her with a happy smile on his face.

Kyoko rubbed his back in an affectionate manner before finding the resolve to do what needed to be done. "Harry...I want to show you something."

Harry looked up at his adopted mother with a curious expression, and she gave him a somewhat nervous smile in response. "What is it, mama?"

"Well... You know how I always wear gloves, right?" Harry nodded. "I think it's time you saw what my hands look like without the gloves..."

She slowly pulled them off and gently placed her hands on her lap so Harry could see them. The boy seemed shocked, but that quickly changed to a childlike curiosity as he gently took one with his own tiny hands.

"I guess, this is my 'freaky stuff'." Kyoko pled weakly, still feeling very insecure about her hands.

"But... they look normal." Harry commented. "And your still really nice. What do your hands have to do with that?"

Kyoko stared at him with an unreadable expression for a few moments. Then the corners of her mouth turned up and she began to laugh.

Harry tilted his head in confusion. Why was Miss Kyoko laughing? Did he say something funny? Kyoko noticed and reigned herself in, sighing softly.

"Oh, Harry... You are such a pure soul... Please... Never lose that bright innocence..." She said before kissing his cheek lovingly.

Harry looked up and smiled, deciding just to take the kind words and not question them too much. He wrapped his tiny arms around the detectives wait and snuggled into her tummy. Kyoko returned the gesture and rose to her feet, holding her son as the gazed out the window.

"Soon this will all be a distant memory..." Kyoko thought.

She thought it was a true shame... This trip had been such a life changing experience for her... To think it was going to end very soon...

She looked down at her son and smiled softly. She would have to bring him back for vacation one day. It wouldn't be right to keep him away from his country of birth forever...

Still, hopefully she could come back at a later time when not only his uncle would still be behind bars and hopefully Harry would be less... frightened. Still she hoped he'd enjoy his new home in Japan. It certainly would be a change for him, but she figured he like it.

She looked down at her watch and frowned slightly. "Hmm... Harry, I think it's time we went to get some lunch. Any idea what you'd like to have?"

"Whatever you want is fine, mama." Harry replied softly, prompting Kyoko to smile fondly, having had a feeling he would say something like that.

"Well then... I believe I saw a Japanese restaurant in town... Let's go there, and you can get a feel for the kind of food we have in Japan."

Harry nodded eagerly and Kyoko set off. The walk through the hotel was quiet, but also soothing. She felt like many a great wheight had been lifted off of her shoulders and now she could enjoy some food from her home, as well as introduce it to her new son. She wondered what he'd like best...

She reached the restaurant, entitled Kawakubo, and smiled as they entered. The owners had done an excellent job catching the spirit of her home country.

There was a regular seating area, and a sushi bar. Kyoko decided they would try some sushi first as an appetizer before getting a full meal.

"Well Harry, what would you like to try?" She asked as Harry looked out over the new (and understandly foreign,) food. Finally, he pointed to a few different rolls, one with cucumber, one with shrimp and...

Kyoko stopped herself as she realized she was about to feed her son a wasabi roll... he definitely wasn't ready for that.

"Um...I think you should try something else, sweetie." She tried to reason. "Those are...very, VERY spicy." Harry tilted his head with a confused look before nodding.

"Okay...Um...Can I have um...that one then?" Kyoko smiled as Harry pointed to a much more reasonable shrimp roll and nodded her head in affirmation.

"Okay then love." She nodded, picking up the roll and setting it on his plate. Once she was sure both she and Harry had enough to start, she seated herself and Harry at a small table off to the side, then smiled dryly when she saw Harry trying (and failing) to use chopsticks.

"Here...Like this." She grabbed his hand and gently manipulated it to control how he used the chopsticks, showing him how to use them properly.

Harry was quick to catch on, and he gave it another try. He struggled a little bit, but he did manage to pull it off, much to the little boy's pleasure.

"Mmmm..." he mumbled, tasting the sushi. "This is so good! What is it?"

"Well, in that you have rice, mustard, shrimp..." Kyoko listed off the ingredients she could tell from looking at it.

"Shrimp?" Harry asked, tilting his head, confused.

"Shrimp is a type of fish. They live out in the ocean." Kyoko tired to explain, but Harry nodded, signaling he understood.

"Oooh... Fishies are cool." Harry said with a nod. Kyoko chuckled and patted his head as he ate another piece of his sushi, savouring the taste.

"Well... I guess they're closer to crabs and lobsters than fish." Kyoko admitted, eating another piece of her own food. "But yeah... This is common Japanese food."

"Japanese food is really yummy." Harry replied with a bright smile. Kyoko smirked at that. She knew that the food in Japan was considered an exotic delicacy for many... To her, it was just food.

But to Harry... food itself could be considered a luxury... it was so inhumane what he went through. And Kyoko had to keep her composure from showing her slight anger. It wasn't his fault, she didn't want him to think for even a second it was. She just smiled and watched him eat. His eyes were wide with wonder.

The purplette stifled a soft giggle as she watched her little boy eat his sushi. 'So cute...' She fawned internally. Soon enough, they finished the appetizer. Now Kyoko was ready to give Harry the main course.

Carrying him over to a table, she picked up a menu and sat by his side, going over the various dishes with him. Harry was unsure what he wanted... So he decided he would ask her recommendation.

"I think you'd enjoy the yakatori or the ramen." Kyoko answered. When she saw that Harry was still confused, she pointed to the pictures. "Yakatori is meat on a stick, and ramen are noodles."

"Ramen sounds good." Harry finally said, looking up at his mother. Kyoko smiled back down at him.

"Ramen it is." She said.

The pair waited patiently for their meal to arrive, and when it did, Harry ate his ramen very slowly, his eyes lighting up as he quickly found he liked the taste.

Kyoko was quite pleased by the food here. The cooks really went all out to make it seem like it came straight from Japan. And she was glad Harry seemed to enjoy it too.

Tiny boy seemed to be tasting the noodles as if he was inspecting them for something. After a few moments, he chewed and swallowed them, as if they had passed some sort of test.

"They're really yummy." He said, looking up at the detective. "Is this what all Japanese food tastes like?"

"Well, not all of it." Kyoko replied. "You've had sushi as well, and there's many other dishes for you to try. And eventually, you'll try them all. But for now, enjoy your noodles while they're warm."

Harry nodded obediently, and the mother-son duo ate their lunch in a comfortable silence, eventually finishing their respective meals. Kyoko smiled at Harry.

"So, that's just a small taste of what your new home has to offer." She explained. Harry hoped all the food in Japan was as good as the food in this place.

Kyoko paid the cheque, then led Harry down the street, holding his hand gently. She got to thinking... Did her father have a passport ready for Harry?

Come to think of it, where was he going to stay when she got home? She wasn't sure her dorm had a spare bed lying around, let alone an extra room for one more 'jr. student' as she decided to call him. she bit her lip and shook her head, she'd figure out the spacing issues later, and as for the bed, well, Harry could just stay with her.

She was thinking about the passport issue when a text alert went off, she took her phone out and smiled when she saw what was written:

Bring my grandson to the photo studio. Don't want you to get arrested for kidnapping/smuggling a toddler ;)

Kyoko blinked at the message, then smirked mirthfully. It seemed her father had read her mind, despite not even being within the same general area.

She looked down at her son with a small smile. "Well, Harry, we're going to get your picture taken now. You have to have your passport so you can get on the plane."

"Passport?" Harry asked, looking up at her. Kyoko laughed slightly and patted his head.

"You'll see sweetie." She said with a smile as the two kept on walking. Every now and then, Kyoko would notice people look her way with a smile, she blushed, feeling embarrassed, but realized this was all part of adopting a child. Harry didn't seem to notice, either looking around him at he town, or up at his new mama. Eventually, the two came to a stop at a walk way and an old woman seemed to do a double take when she saw Harry.

Kyoko noticed and gave the old woman an inquisitive glance. The bespectacled old woman simply shot her a smile, then approached under the guise of needing to use the crosswalk as well.

"Hello there, dear." She greeted. "Apologies, I just noticed that... this boy looks much like a very similar looking child I know..." Kyoko gave the woman a questioning glance.

"Oh, is that so? Hmm... Quite the coincidence... Well... His name is Harry... He's very recently adopted." She explained.

Kyoko notes that the woman's eyes seemed to widen in shock, although the rest of her body remained the same.

"Oh, well he seems quite happy with you." The woman simply said, a smile forming on her face. Kyoko looked down at Harry and squeezed his hand slightly as a sign of affection.

"Well, he's certainly made me happier." The detective remarked.

"And... you... you make me really happy." Harry added, slightly nervous around the unknown woman.

Kyoko had to smile at that despite herself, and she patted Harry's head affectionately. The older woman looked like she wanted to say more, but stopped herself.

Kyoko was interested, but decided not to pry. The light changed, and she led Harry across the street. "It was nice meeting you, ma'am."

"Oh yes, likewise, dearie, likewise." The woman replied.

Mirnerva McGonnal water the new mother and son cross the street and continue down the sidewalk, she felt a warm smile form on her face and a tear run down as well. Harry Potter was safe and loved. That was all she ever wanted for the poor dear. She wasn't sure if she would tell Albus right away, but definitely Hagrid, the half-giant would be greatly relieved to hear about Harry's new circumstances.

"I hope you take good care of him dear, better than we did..." she whispered to herself.

She turned away from the scene and stepped into a nearby alley, seeming to vanish from sight upon entering the confines of the two walls...

Kyoko reached the studio, sighing softly. "Okay, Harry, hope you're not camera shy." She said as she entered and found her father waiting for her.

"Hey kiddos." He said with a grin. Harry seemed a bit nervous, but remembered that this was a nice man.

"Hello sir." Harry said with a tiny wave, earning a grin from both Kirigiri's.

"Hey to you too squirt." He replied. "Great to see you so happy with Kyoko."

Almost instinctively, Kyoko gave Harry's hand another squeeze. The detective picked up her son and looked around.

"So where do I put him?"

"Right on this stool over here." The elder Kirigiri instructed, patting the seat of said stool. Kyoko nodded and gently set Harry down atop the stool.

"All right then. So will the photographer be here soon?" Kyoko asked, looking around for any sign of the photographer, wondering why he wasn't there.

"Yes, he's just getting ready." Jin explained. Kyoko nodded in response, then stood next to Harry patiently, awaiting the photographer's arrival.

As Harry sat, Kyoko found herself fussing over his hair somewhat, trying to find a suitable style with the messy mop that was his current hair. Kyoko's father smirked as she watched his daughter being very motherly to the tiny boy that was now his grandson. He always hoped that somewhere under Kyoko's cold detective face there was a caring side, but after the way she had been raised... well, he'd be lying if he said he didn't have some regrets.

But now, watching the tiny boy sitting infront of his giggle as Kyoko tried to find a good look (and seeming to grow somewhat flustered when nothing seemed to work) it gave him a sense of pride seeing how much his daughter truly cared. He was taken out of his thoughts but a frustrated huff as Kyoko threw her hands down and stamped her foot.

"Fine. I give up." She grumbled.

Harry's hair was still a mess, and he was looking slightly nervous, rubbing his arm and looking down at the ground like s child caught up past curfew. "Sorry, mama..."

Kyoko realized he was distressed and gave him a quick hug. "No need to be sorry, Harry... Not your fault your hair is completely untameable..."

"I think it looks fine." Her father stated with a shrug, masking the purple-haired mother turn and look annoyed at him.

"Are you being serious, or are you just trying to annoy me?" She asked flatly.

"Bit of A bit of B."

"I swear your as bad as Celeste..." Kyoko grumbled.

"But... Miss Celeste is really nice." Harry piped up, looking up at the two. The sincerity in his tone was adorable.

Kyoko had to smile despite herself, and she messed with the boy's hair gently. "Yes, I'll admit, the girl does have her moments... When she isn't stirring up trouble anyway."

Then, the photographer stepped out. "All right then, let's just get your picture taken, young man, and we can get everything in order by tomorrow."

Harry should looked at the camera man and gave a tiny smile. There was a brief flash and he began blinking in confusion, finding himself briefly dizzied by the white flash. Kyoko giggled slightly at his bewildered face before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"All done." She said with a smile.

Harry tilted his head curiously. "That's it? That was really, really fast." He said softly, getting a smile out of his adopted mother as she picked him up.

"Well, there is more to it, but I think my dad can handle that, right, dad?" Jin gave his daughter a smile and a thumbs up, and Kyoko had to smile back.

"Thanks daddy." She said with a smile.

"Thank you sir." Harry said in a quiet voice. Kyoko patted his tiny head with a gloved hand and mentally laughed. She wasn't expecting him to call her dad 'Grandpa' just yet, then again, maybe he didn't know he could. Oh well, she'd cross that bridge when she got to it. Right now, she wanted to continue her day with her baby boy.

"No problem, dear. Now you go and enjoy the rest of the trip. We shouldn't have much left to deal with. I'll have his Japanese citizenship ready for him soon enough."

Kyoko gave her father a hug, much to his surprise. His daughter wasn't one to be so forward with her affection like this. "Thank you... For helping me adopt him..."

"Heh, the little squirt deserves someone to love him like you do. He also seems to have helped you open up a bit more. To me this is a win-win." He replied calmly. Harry looked up from where he was held at the two hugging. He felt left out, so he tried to hug Miss Kyoko, but was still unable due to his tiny frame. Still, the two adults found it adorable.

Eventually, Kyoko pulled away and smiled slightly at her father. "Thanks again, dad... Harry and I will be on our way now, okay?" Jin nodded.

"Right. You kids enjoy your day. I'm gonna go check out that Japanese restaurant, I've heard good things about it... Kawakubo, I think it was?"

"The ramen's really good." Harry said.

"I'll have to check it out then." The Jin replied with a smirk. "Now go on, her out there."

Kyoko smiled and kept Harry close to her side as she left the building. This was really happening. He was coming home with her. She pondered something as she walked down the street, Harry nuzzled at his side.

"Harry Potter-Kirigiri... hmm... Harry Kirigiri-Potter?" The Detective began playing with names in her mind.

She looked over at her son, who was clutching tightly to her hand as he looked around at the city around them curiously. It was truly a cute sight seeing his eyes so full of wonder.

Smiling, she looked over at Harry. "Well, Harry, since I'm your mother now, tell me what you'd prefer... Taking on my last name, Kirigiri, or keeping your old last name and having mine as a middle name?"

Harry seemed to be deep in thought over this, it was an adorable look, he seemed so determined to come up with an answer. Finally, he looked back up at her.

"Um... can I keep my last name? Cause... my parents gave it to me?"

Kyoko held him up and kissed him on the forehead, then set him back into her arms.

"Of course you can love." She replied sweetly.

She understood why he would want it that way. It was the name he'd grown up with, after all. It would seem rather weird to just give it up.

So then he would be Harry Kirigiri Potter. A rather wordy full name... Plus she would also have to factor in whatever his original middle name was...

"Harry, what was your middle name?" She asked, genuinely curious as the files she had never mentioned it.

"Um... James I think." Harry replied, struggling to remember as he had never been called it before. Only 'freak'.

"Harry James Kirigiri Potter... Hmm... I suppose it has a bit of a ring to it..." The detective mused with a finger under her chin. "Well, either way, we have that settled nicely."

"Yes, mama." Harry replied with a nod, happy to officially have his adopted mother's last name in some capacity. He felt closer to her as a result.

Kyoko sighed happily, it was all done. Harry was hers now, his uncle was going to prison for a long, LONG time, everything seemed perfect. Heck, most (if not all) of the students had taken a liking to him, so she wasn't too too worried about any of... well, their eccentrics.

Yes, this was truly the beginning of the life her little boy so richly deserved... She would do everything in her power to provide it all for him...

Now, her son was home... With her...

Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledoor walked in on a sight he never thought he'd live to see, and that was saying quite a lot considering how old the wizard was and all he had been through.

What he saw was Haggrid flat on his back on the floor, clearly having fainted from shock, and his face ghost-white.

The elderly wizard had been called in by his most trusted confidant, Minerva McGonagall, to Hagrid's hut so she could deliver important news.

The old man looked at the bespectacled woman, who seemed... elated. For the first time since they had discovered Harry's coma...She was happy.

"I've found him, Albus... He's safe. And he's happily adopted too..." And just like that, a weight left the old wizard's shoulders.

"R..really?" He sputtered, unable to process what he had just been told. "By who?"

Minerva frowned slightly before shaking her head.

"I didn't catch the young woman's name, but I believe she not only was responsible for seeing that Vernon Dursley is sent to prison for a long time, but also has been helping Harry cope with everything."

"We must find out who she is!" Albus exclaimed. "Even if it is just to express our gratitude we should do what we can and-"

"Apologies Headmaster." A somewhat cold voice spoke up, the two turning to see Severus Snape stand nearby, having been listening to the conversation. "But I don't believe that may be the best idea."

Albus turned to face the man, frowning. "Severus? Whyever not?" Dumbledore asked the Potions master. Minerva gave Severus a stern glance.

"Severus, if this has anything to do with your own personal grudge against the boy..." McGonagall said sternly. Her glare was enough to make even Severus shudder.

"No, nothing of the sort." Snape replied with a slight wave of his hand. "But moreover, it is most likely he has been taken in by a muggle woman. Not only would revealing ourselves, and to an extent, Harry's true powers be rather complicating on a number of levels, I do believe there is also the fact that she could very easily, and for the most part, rightfully, blame us for the abuse Harry went through."

The room fell silent, the four realizing that intentional or not (Or as Albus would frequently say "Good Intentions) they HAD left Harry with the Dursleys, and yes, while there may have been rules about exposing Magic to the Muggle world, they hadn't ever checked up on him. The potion master had a point.

Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his temples. "Well... Be that as it may, Severus... She is going to have to find out about her newly adopted son's true heritage sooner or later..."

"Yes... And as his mother... I believe she deserves to know the whole story." Minerva chipped in with a nod. Severus sighed, knowing they made valid points.

"An' at the end of it all, I think we all are'n agreement that it's better for the little lad to be with 'er." Hagrid commented, now back to reality and picking himself up off the floor.

"Yes... I still can't beleive how shortsighted I was..." Albus sighed deeply. "Family or not, the Dursley's never should have been left to watch over Harry..."

"As I had been saying from the very beginning." Minerva said sternly, causing the old man to wince. "But... What's done is done... We can't change it now..."

Dumbledore sighed and nodded. "Yes, I know... Minerva... Where did you see this young lady? I'd like to meet with her as soon as possible."

"I don't have a name for her, but she's of Japanese heritage and has purple hair. That's all I know."

Albus nodded, thinking this over. It probably wouldn't be too hard to find her, but they also needed to becareful. Not just with finding her, but with explaining everything, and finding the best course to move forward.

Back in England, Kyoko was seated on her bed, Harry sitting comfortably on her lap as the two of them read over the book of language.

Kyoko gave her son a proud smile as he successfully recited half a page worth of Japanese words. "Good job, dear. You're really getting the hang of it." She said, giving him a fond smile.

Harry smiled up at his mama and leaned into her tummy, sighing contently. Kyoko rubbed his head like she was petting a dog. She looked up when she saw the door open, and Celestia entered, humming to herself.

"Oh, hello cutie pie." Celestia smiled down at Harry.

"Konichiwa, Celestia-chan." Harry greeted with confidence. Celeste blinked, then gave him a bright smile, tilting her head to the side and closing her eyes.

"My, my, I see you're making excellent progress on our language, dearie." Harry smiled, pride swelling up inside him at her praise.

Without warning, Celestia swiped Harry out of Kyoko's arms and ticked his chin, earning a giggle from the tiny boy.

"How are you so precious?" Celestia cooed, bouncing the boy in her arms. "I just love how sweet and adorable your are!"

Kyoko smirked at her friend, happy to see Harry more playful. She also began debating if she should get a baby harness so her classmates would stop stealing him...

Nah, he was too old for that... Looks like it's just something she'll have to deal with. She smirked lightly. "He's already got thirty pages memorized almost flawlessly."

Celeste blinked. "Thirty you say? My, my, that is most impressive for someone his age. Most children would take weeks just to memorize one page."

Harry blushed and looked away, feeling embarrassed by all the praise. Celestia chuckled and patted his head and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She gave him a quick squeeze and then sat Harry back onto Kyoko's lap. The decretive chuckled at their interactions. The gambler giggled into her hand before seating herself on her bed.

"Well... Two more days and it's back to Hope's Peak." Kyoko commented, lying down on her back and holding Harry against her chest.

Celeste nodded her head. "Yes, it's quite the shame. England s truly a wonderful country... I wouldn't mind returning for a vacation on my own terms one day."

"Still, I am looking forward to being home." Kyoko remarked, looking up at the ceiling.

"And I imagine that your also excited to show little Harry his new home." Celestia added, Kyoko smiled over at her.

"Yup." Was all the detective said. patting Harry's back.

Then, rather suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Um... Enter." Kyoko called out, slightly surprised. The door opened to reveal her father.

"Kyoko... There's someone here who wants to speak with me, you and Harry... It seemed pretty serious..." Kyoko looked down at Harry, who seemed nervous.

"Are they gonna take me away...?"

"No." Kyoko said immediately, holding Harry tight to her chest. Her face turning grave and somewhat angered. "Never. I won't let them."

Harry whimpered and moved closer to his adopted mother as Kyoko rose to her feet and turned to her father.

"Who are they?" She asked.

"An elderly man with a Santa beard, an old woman who looks way too stern for her own good, a hook nosed guy who really needs some shampoo and a giant."

Kyoko stared blankly at her father. "...Are you making this up? This sounds like a setup for a joke." She said flatly. Jin shook his head and chuckled.

"Nope, it's the honest truth. Come on down and see for yourself. They're waiting on us." Kyoko sighed and turned to Celeste.

"Guess I'll be seeing you around then."

The gambler nodded, but there was an air of agitation aunt her currently. She clearly didn't;t like this, let alone the thought of someone trying to take Harry away from Kyoko. Kyoko sighed and began following her father to the elevator and heading to the main floor. When she arrived, she was rather... surprised by who was waiting for her.

"You... You're that woman from the crosswalk." She said, acknowledging Minerva with mild surprise. The older woman gave a small smile and nodded her head.

"Wonderful to see you again, my dear... I'm glad to see little Harry is still doing well." Harry looked up at the woman with a small smile, then noticed the other three.

He felt like he knew them from somewhere... especially the tall man. There was something very familiar about him. Harry looked a bit confused, and tried to make himself seem smaller in Kyoko's arms.

"Well, he's happy. And that more than I can say about a week ago..." Kyoko grumbled the last part, her eye twitching somewhat.

The group before them clearly winced at that before the old man stepped forth. "My dear, I truly can't thank you enough for taking young Harry in..."

"Well... It's no problem at all, but if you don't mind me asking, just who are you, and how do you know Harry? Are you relatives of his or something?

The four went silent, a somewhat dower feeling coming over the room, Albus finally spoke up.

"We aren't his family, but... we are the ones who left him with his family."

Almost immediately, Kyoko's eyes narrowed and her face darkened to one of anger, she gritted her teeth and held onto Harry tighter.

"YOU left him with... THEM?!" She demanded angrily.

Albus nodded solemnly, having anticipated this reaction and braced himself for it well in advance. Kyoko took a deep breath, trying to reign herself in. Emotional outbursts were unbecoming of a detective such as herself... "Okay... Why?"

"They were the only family the boy had left... We felt they would be the most wise decision to leave him with... We never anticipated that they would..." Dumbledore trailed off.

"Yet none of you bothered to check up on him? To see if he was being treated properly? Surely, if you knew of these people, you would have known the kind of people they were... Yet not one of you ever thought to look in on them." Jin said sternly, arms crossed.

Looking around, Albus notes they were alone, and sighed once again.

"I'll make no excuses for what happened. Minerva even told me it wasn't a good idea, but considering what was happening around him, we truly felt like there was no other choice. Had we known... we would have found another."

"What was happening?" Kyoko asked, a hint of anger still clear in her tone.

"The man who killed his parents is what happened." The voice of Severus cut in. This got Kyoko's attention immediately. "Though he died, his followers are still out there."

"Oh, yes..." Minerva nodded. "There's not a trace of doubt that they want revenge on young Harry... Albus thought that if he didn't go to the Dursleys, he would be killed."

"Hang on. What are you talking about?" Kyoko said, confusion now somewhat overtaking her tone. "Who would want to do such a thing to Harry, or his parents?"

"M..my parents died in a car... car crash..." Harry whimpered, now somewhat burying his face into his mother's protective hold.

"Well, Harry isn't exactly a normal child." Albus continued. "He's a wizard."

Kyoko and Jin stared blankly at Albus for several seconds before Kyoko sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And here I thought we were gonna have a serious conversation here..."

"I assure you, young lady, that I am quite serious." Dumbledore replied. Jin looked at him blankly, wondering why the other three were enabling this senile old man's delusions.

"I think we're done here." Kyoko said very flatly, preparing to stand up and leave until the old man seemed to wave a stick that he had... somewhere, and a book on a table next to him floated upwards and over to him. Both Jin and Kyoko were left speechless, but Harry (having grown up where he had) seemed terrified of the magic.

Dumbledore turned to look at Jin and Kyoko, his eyes twinkling merrily. "So, do you believe me now?" He asked as Kyoko approached, searching the floating book for any sign of trickery.

"No strings, no magnetism... This..." She stared in disbelief at the floating book. "This...really is magic... Isn't it...? This is the kind of thing Harry..." She looked down to see her scared, whimpering son.

She remembered back when they first met, and how Harry had mentioned his 'freaky stuff' such as making things float and being able to talk to snakes. But that was just all the imagination of an abused child, trying to justify the unjustifiable actions of his abuser, right?

Well, Kyoko wasn't so sure now.

"What's wrong love?" She asked, looking at Harry.

"It's... It's the freaky stuff... That's the stuff that made Uncle Vernon hate me... It's what made Uncle Vernon..." His voice trailed off slowly.

"Freaky stuff?" The giant man's voice sounded out. "Freaky stuff? Is tha' wha' that great prune told ye, 'Arry? Ain't nothin' freaky 'bout yer magic. S'as normal as walkin' where we come from!"

Kyoko picked up maybe a third of the half-giant's words, but noticed something in particular.

"Where your... from?" She finally said with a raised brow. "Do you mean to tell me your from another world or something like that?" She asked, albeit somewhat sarcastically, but she also had to acknowledge that there was definetly something weird going on.

"In a manner of speaking, yes, I suppose you could say that, seeing as how our part of the world is uncharted in yours." Severus chimed in.

Kyoko sighed and rubbed her temples. "This whole thing is just too ridiculous to believe..." She muttered. Jin nodded his head in agreement.

"I'm pretty skeptical as well... Even with that little book trick of yours, I don't really know what to make of the situation."

"To be completely honest, this isn't something you need to worry about currently." Minerva now spoke, getting the purplette's attention. "Even though he may accidentally use it, Harry's magic shouldn't truly come into fruition for another few years. But the main reason why we've come is to make sure he was okay, and... and to apologize for what he was put through."

Kyoko looked down at Harry, tightened her hold on him and sighed softly. "I'm not going to lie to you... I find it very difficult to forgive you after what I've found out."

Dumbledore nodded his head. "Yes, dear, it truly was dreadful... We all regret not looking in on him at any point... We completely understand..."

"Do you, though? Do you really understand what my son went through? Do you know his uncle tried to drown him on several occasions? That they made him do all their chores? They made him DRINK CHEMICALS for God's sake!"

The four went silent, looks of absolute horror on their faces. Even Severus Snape, the man who never thought much for the boy, was disgusted beyond words. Albus felt like he was about to be torn in half, either by Minerva, or by the woman who was now Harry's mother. Either way, he knew that this was so much worse than he ever could have imagined.

Kyoko's stern gaze never wavered, and the group was impressed that a muggle could give off an intimidating glare that sent shivers running down their spines.

"If you really want to apologize for indirectly causing all of this to happen to my son... You have a long, rocky road ahead of you." The young woman said sternly.

"We understand. Minerva nodded, seemingly having expected a reaction like that. "Right now however, we care that he is in good hands, and it's rather clear that he is."

Kyoko's glare wavered ever so slightly, as just a hint of pride took over. "Well... thank you. I'm trying my best to be the ideal mother for him..."

"You don't have to try too hard, mama... You're the best mama ever." Harry chimed in innocently. Kyoko blushed slightly and gave him a small smile.

Kyoko couldn't stop the slight blush that formed, despite that fact that she wasn't alone. Harry really was too sweet for his own good... which made what he had been through all the more horrific, not to mention that the people who had put him there were sitting across from her. Still... she didn't feel like she could blame them outright...

She sighed softly and affirmed her glare. "All right... I'll forgive your gross negligence on one condition..." She gave her adopted son a gentle nudge. "Harry has to forgive you first. And you have to accept his decision no matter what. Is that clear?"

"I think that's very fair." Dumbledore replied with a nod.

Harry whimpered, not sure what to say or do, but he could tell that while these people HAD left him with his relatives, he didn't think they wanted to hurt him... but he was still nervous.

"W..why did they hate me?" Harry finally asked.

Severus stepped forward. "Petunia was always a petty, jealous brat of a girl. She couldn't handle not being as good as your mother, and so she grew into a bitter, hateful old shrew. And the only type of person to show interest in trash would be other trash, like your worthless uncle... The reason you were hated is because Petunia was jealous of your mother's magic, and so decided that all magic was evil. Awful, petty brat..."

While Kyoko thought the description was a bit harsh (but 100% accurate) Harry seemed to think it over, his family hated him... because his parents were better? Well, they hadn't abused him... they hadn't starved him, hit him, left him alone outside in the dark or made him do strenuous work or...

Something seemed to clock in Harry's mind, even for someone his age he could understand this:

This man was right.

His 'family' was nowhere near as good as his parents, let alone Miss Kyoko! And he hadn't even considered Miss Celestia, Mr. Jin or any of the others and well.

"They... They were bad... They WERE bad... I was never the bad one... It was them... It was ALWAYS them." Harry's eyes were wide as the realizations hit him at full force.

"Yes indeed, young Harry, they were the worst kinds of people. They couldn't handle anything that didn't fall within their definition of 'normal'. I'm sure magic folk weren't the only ones they looked down on." Severus affirmed.

To say Kyoko was pleased was an understatement. Harry understood! He finally, finally fully understood that he was not to blame for his abuse!

Harry nodded timidly before looking at the four sitting across from him.

"I...I forgive you..." HE mumbled, barely audible, but loud enough that it could still be heard. Minerva donned a caring smile which made Harry feel comforted somewhat, much like the warmth and comfort he knew his mother could give him.

Kyoko for her part was rather proud of her son. She knew that this portably wasn't an easy thing to hear, understand, or say in the end, but she knew he had a pure heart, and was genuine in his words.

"Well then... Since Harry's chosen to forgive you, then so will I." The detective said with a nod, making Harry smile from the knowledge that his adopted mother trusted his judgement.

"Thank you very much, dear." Albus nodded his head. Then everyone turned to Jin, who looked thoughtful as to how to respond to this.

"Weeeell... What the heck? If everyone's forgiving each other, I might as well join in." He said in a jovial manner. Now everyone was on better terms with one another.

Kyoko smiled at her father, than gave Harry a quick kiss on top of his tiny head, making him coo cutely and lean into her happily.

"So, if Harry does have magic, is there any way he can control it?" Kyoko asked, still not completely believing the story she was told, but also willing to be open minded about it.

"Well, of course." Minerva replied. "Every witch or wizard, once they've reached eleven years of age, is sent to attend special schools that will teach them how to use their powers properly."

"I see... So it's like a boarding school, I presume? The students live at the school in dorm rooms and don't come home until the breaks?"

"Roughly speaking, yes." Minerva nodded, and Kyoko frowned at that.

"And if he doesn't want to be away for that long?"

The older witch was quiet for a few moments, trying to think of the proper response. She knew where Kyoko was coming from, especially with all Harry had been through, despite it was still years away, him leaving her side may be hard for him.

"Then I will see to it that a private tutor is assigned to him. Harry is very important to the wizarding world, you know... He is the chosen one that defeated the dark lord Voldemort."

Kyoko stared blankly at Dumbledore before looking down at Harry. "...Sir... My son is five years old. You expect me to believe that he beat some evil dark magician when he was a baby?"

"Yes, I know it's difficult to believe, but it is the honest truth. Someway, somehow, when the dark lord Voldemort cast the spell to kill Harry...it reflected back at him, and ended his life."

Kyoko didn't respond, a flat look on her face. She wasn't sure if this old man was being serious or was senile. She could maybe, MAYBE be talked into beleiving Harry had some form of telekinetic abilities of some sort, but killing a dark wizard as a baby just seemed to stretch it a bit.

"You don't believe me." Dumbledore said with a smile, his eyes twinkling. "It's written all over your face." Kyoko let out a very slight huff.

"Well can you blame me? Harry was a baby. How am I supposed to believe what you're trying to push here?" The old man chuckled softly.

"Yes, I will admit that it is a rather difficult thing to believe, but I assure you, I speak nothing but the truth."

"Look, I'm not saying I beleive you, but at the same time, Harry's mentioned some things that coincide with what you've told me. While I don't beleive that he could defeat a powerful warlock, im willing to entertain the idea that that Harry has powers. But I hope you understand I have NO intention of giving him up."

"We would never ask you to do such a thing, young lady." Minerva chipped in. "He is your son. You have adopted him legitimately. It would be horrid of us to get in the way of that."

Kyoko took a deep breath. "Okay... As long as we're clear on that..." Kyoko looked down at her adopted son. "... We have six years to decide what to do... We'll talk about it, okay?"

"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, before quickly adding. "And don't worry about the Dursley's ever being an issue for you or Harry ever again. It's being seen to that aside from the physical abuse Vernon caused, some of his other actions will be brought to light."

That did make Kyoko smile as she ran a hand through her son's hair.

"Good, they deserve nothing less after all they did."

"They deserve far worse if you ask me." Severus chipped in. "There's no punishment on this planet good enough for those sub-human vermin."

"True as that is, I'll take what I can get." Kyoko replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Okay, so with all that out of the way... Is there anything else we should know?"

"At this point, I beleive all there is to say is that we wish you the best of luck and hope for nothing but the best for Harry." Minerva answered, trying to end their meeting on a good note. Hagrid nodded in agreement.

"Aftar al' 'es been through, it's about time he got some 'ove." The half-giant said.

Kyoko blushed slightly and smiled at the boy in her arms. "Well... Thank you for coming. I'm sure you taking responsibility for your mistakes means a lot to Harry."

"Thank you." Harry agreed softly, snuggling in closer to his adopted mother.

That brought a smile to most of the group's faces. While Snape didn't outright smile, he did feel like he had managed to help prevent an issue from getting much, much worse. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to live with himself if he let Lily's son suffer like that. He may not have always understood why Lily chose James, but he couldn't blame a child for that. Let alone sit by while he was abused.

He looked at Harry for several seconds. "You know, Harry... You look almost exactly like your father. I'd wager you're just about the spitting image, in fact."

"Really? I look like my daddy?" Harry asked curiously, in a manner that Kyoko found just too cute for words. Snape nodded his head in affirmation.

"Very much so... But there's just one thing about you that couldn't be more different..." This time, a small smile did form. "You have your mother's eyes."

"Oh." Harry said, then tried to look at his eyes, accidentally crossing them and making him shake his head with a confused, somewhat saddened mutter.

"Heh, I think they're beautiful." Kyoko smiled down at him.

Harry seemed pacified by that and the adults in the room all chuckled. "Say, Albus... I wouldn't mind learning more about this Hogwarts place. What say we go and get some lunch on me and discuss it further, since my grandson may be going there and all." Jin offered.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. Muggle foods are truly delicious." Albus agreed. "A pleasure meeting with you, Miss Kirigiri. Harry. And thank you very much for your time."

Kyoko smiled at them and nodded politely, deciding now would be a good time to leave before Harry got overwhelmed. As the pair left, they returned to the elevator. Only when they were on their way up did Kyoko let out a long sigh of relief.

"Are you okay sweetie?" She asked, looking down at her son.

"I..I'm confused." Harry answered honestly.

Kyoko patted his head gently and kissed the top of his head. "You're not the only one, honey... This is a very confusing situation." Kyoko agreed.

"But...But now I know that...that I wasn't bad... Unc-No... Not Uncle, just...Vernon... He was wrong... I'm not a freak... Lots of other people can do what I do..."

"Mmhm." Kyoko nodded, deciding to just agree with Harry for now, even if it was just to help him realize how wrong his uncle was. "And that's what makes you special."

"I'm special?" Harry asked, looking up at Kyoko. eyes wide in wonder and hope. The detective giggled slightly and kissed his forehead in affirmation.

"Very." She said, pressing her forehead to his. "Now C'mon. I think we could both use some rest, and I bet Aunt Celestia will be curious about what's happened..." Kyoko grumbled the last part, not sure how to explain this to her roommate just yet.

Harry perked up when he heard what his mother called Miss Celeste. "Aunt Celestia...?" He asked softly. Kyoko nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah... If you're okay with it, anyway. You've had the most interactions with her, after all... I think she'd be a great candidate for the aunt role. And hey... If all goes well, you could end up with six more aunts, and eight uncles."

Harry's eyes widened in realization at what Kyoko was implying. He had never thought of that... but... they'd be nicer than his relatives, right? He thought it over. Miss Hina was super nice, Leon was nice as well... yeah. Harry liked them all, but Miss Kyoko, or rather, his mama, was his favourite.

But the idea of having a full family, with a whole bunch of aunts and uncles... REAL aunts and uncles that didn't hate him... That idea appealed to him greatly...

Kyoko could sense his building joy and smiled, giving a tiny chuckle. She opened the door to their hotel room and entered, practically flopping onto her bed with a long sigh.

"Is everything alright?" Celestia almost immediately asked, seeing that they had returned.

"Hi Aunt Celestia." Harry replied, giving a tiny wave to the gambler.

Celestia blinked at that before letting a smile come to her face. "Oh? Aunt Celestia, am I?" She patted the boy's head gently. "Well then, how's my very favourite nephew doing today?"

Harry smiled even wider at that, overjoyed she had accepted ths role so readily. "I learned some things... Like how my aunt and uncle were bad all along."

"Well, of course they were, dear. Anyone who would willingly hurt someone like you is the lowest form of filth on this planet." Celestia cooed.

"And we just met the ones who put him there in the first place." Said Kyoko.

The friendly sparkle in Celestia's eyes quickly disappeared replaced with a darkened sense of anger. Harry didn't seem to notice, but Kyoko had known her friend long enough to know that this wasn't normal for Celestia.

"Oh really?" She asked, now looking at Kyoko. "And what did THEY have to say?"

"Mostly that they were sorry. What happened to Harry wasn't what they expected."

The anger faded from her eyes as she let out a soft sigh. "Well...At least they had the decency to realize the terrible mistake they made..."

"Yeah... And Harry chose to forgive them too, so I guess we can't hold this failure against them..." Celeste hummed in response and sipped her tea.

"So long as they didn't try to take the poor dear. I don't think I could live separated from such a precious little thing." She cooed, ticking Harry's chin, earning a tiny giggle from the boy.

"No. Nothing of the sort. They wanted to apologize and moreover make sure he was alright." Kyoko said, calling a half-lie. However, Celestia. being a world-renowned gambler, almost immediately picked up on her friend's lie, but decided not to press.

"I see, I see... Well, I'm very glad to hear that." The goth said with a nod. "Can't have anyone trying to take my nephew away from me, now, can I?"

"Yes, you're right about that... Harry is where he belongs. No one's taking him away from his new family while I'm still breathing." Kyoko agreed.

Harry looked up and smiled at the two women. They really were his family. Kyoko was his mama, and Celetia was his aunt. He snuggled closer to kyoko to show her affection, and the detective chuckled.

"I think Harry agrees with me."

Harry felt happy and content... Finally... After all he'd suffered, all he'd been through... He was home...

Kyoko smiled down at her son and she patted his head. It was weird, how just under a week had changed so much for her, but she knew this, if she had the chance to go back, she'd do nothing different. She was ready to spend the rest of her life not only as the World's Greatest Detective, but the world's greatest mother.

"I love you Harry." She said gently.

"I love you mama." Harry replied.

Author's Note: And that's a wrap! I know there's still more to do with this concept, but as I said before, my stories are about the mothers rather than the children. It's supposed to be how these women adapt to parenthood. If anyone wants to pick up from here, be my guest. That goes for all my stories. Feel free to write a sequel depicting what you would have liked to see. Thanks for reading, and see ya next time.


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